The Color Blue
by Paradox Angel
Summary: Naruto has a past that his friends do not expect. Called in by Tsunade, they are given an assignment that leads them back to Naruto's old stomping grounds, where old friends are found, new loves encountered, and hilarity ensues. Most characters paired.
1. Chapter 1

I am aware that this story is full of characters who, while starting off Mary-Sues, I hope have evolved to be much less so. They were intentionally written into the story as Mary-Sues, because this story was, and always will be, intended for the small group of my friends who heard my crazy idea for this story one day, and wanted to hear what would happen if I included characters *with these characteristics*. *With these characteristics* being any random thing they could throw at me on any given day. XD

This first chapter, and perhaps the second chapter, do not contain these characters. However, they will appear later on, and will have a good deal of "screen time." However, I have also given quite a lot of screen time to every character who is present in the story. All four ninja squads appear in this story.

If you have any questions, or if I have confused you at any part of the story, feel free to ask me anything.

Also, I am aware that the first two chapters start off slow and somewhat suck. I apologize, but I don't feel like going back and redoing them.

I do not own Naruto fandom and make no money from the writing of this story. Please do not sue.

*~~*

The sun shone brightly in Konoha as the village buzzed with energy.

Conversely, Uzumaki Naruto was fast asleep.

On Umino Iruka's desk.

Iruka twitched as he watched the eighteen-year-old ninja drool on a stack of papers, oblivious to the world.

"Na…ru…to!" the chuunin roared, thumping the blonde on the head.

"Gah!" Naruto flailed, falling off the desk. Papers dislodged and floated to the floor.

Iruka's face turned beet red.

"Naruto, what are you doing sleeping on my desk?!" Iruka bellowed. Groaning, Naruto sat up, scratched his head, and glared at his former sensei out of one eye.

"Well?" Naruto's sensei threw his hands in the air, waiting for an answer. Naruto leaned against the desk and gave an enormous grin.

"I'm ditching! Dattebayo!" The blonde ninja shook with laughter as Iruka fell twitching to the floor in disbelief.

"Naruto," Iruka nagged as he lifted himself off the floor, "you shouldn't be ditching. Maybe if you showed up to training more, Kakashi would be more inclined to nominate you for the jounin exams. Someone with your talent shouldn't remain a chuunin."

"Bah, you shouldn't talk, Iruka-sensei," Naruto pointed at his former sensei accusingly.

"You're still a chuunin and you're a good ninja."

"That doesn't matter!" Iruka shrieked, "I'm a teacher; I don't need to be a jounin! You, on the other hand," he reached across his desk and shook the blonde in frustration, "need to go forward to be Hokage! At this rate, you'll never be Hokage!"

"Shows what you know, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto shouted, tossing Iruka off him. "I'll be Hokage no matter what!"

Eyes closed, Iruka shook his head and sighed. "I know you will, Naruto. But more people will accept it if you're a jounin first. Besides, you can't tell me that Sasuke and Sakura being jounin doesn't bother you."

Naruto made a face and stalked to the door. As the blonde slammed the sliding door open, Iruka waved frantically. "Wait, Naruto, where are you going?!"

"To train, of course!" Naruto snickered, argument forgotten.

Iruka sweatdropped and began picking up scattered papers as Naruto left. "Kid's crazy," Iruka muttered. He smiled, "But he'll be the greatest ninja ever, no doubt about it."

*~~*

Naruto whistled nonchalantly as he approached the bridge where team seven usually met. Although no one was present, he wasn't worried; he had picked up Kakashi's tardiness and was three hours late. The blonde ninja sat on the bridge's railing to wait for his team. They had probably gone out for lunch and would return soon.

As he waited, Naruto couldn't help thinking about how everyone had changed.

Sakura, who had started out feminine and weak, had practically become Tsunade's twin in tact and strength.

Sasuke, who had betrayed the leaf, had returned to Konoha. Naruto had dragged the Uchiha back to the leaf shortly before Orochimaru's twisted ritual. Afterwards, Tsunade ordered that Sasuke be held in the most secure ninja prison until the deadline for Orochimaru's twisted ritual had passed, and then be kept under strict anbu guard until last year.

Kakashi, unlike Naruto's other teammates, had not changed at all. The silver-haired jounin still favored Sasuke, despite his betrayal, and still saw Naruto as much too immature.

While his team seemed to be leaving him in the dust in terms of rank in the village, Naruto was often traveling with Jiraiya, completing missions that would be impossible for any other leaf ninja.

Naruto sighed and stared wistfully at the clouds; so much had happened during his six years as a Konoha ninja, but he had gained little respect.

"Naruto!" a piercing scream ripped through the silence. The blonde flailed for the second time in a day, falling off the rail and smacking face-first onto the wooden bridge. "You idiot!" Sakura roared at the chuunin as she, Sasuke and Kakashi approached the bridge.

"Hiya, Sakura," Naruto mumbled from the ground.

"Hmph! Idiot!" Sakura kicked Naruto onto his back. "Where have you been! We have a mission!"

"What? Really?" Naruto was on his feet instantly, vibrating with energy. His love for missions hadn't dissipated at all over the last six years.

"Yes, now come on!" Sakura huffed in irritation as the three jounin left for the Hokage tower. Not wanting left behind, Naruto scrambled off the ground and sprinted after his teammates.

*~~*

Tsunade pursed her lips in irritation as team seven finally arrived. Naruto frowned in suspicion as he noticed the other ninja in the room. Gai's team, Asuma's team, and Kurenai's team were all present.

"About time, Kakashi," Tsunade snapped. Naruto started to object, but suddenly the violent Hokage was glaring at him. Spinning around, he caught Kakashi pointing at him accusingly. Naruto started to retaliate against his sensei, but let the insult die so that he could learn more about the mission instead.

"Anyway," Tsunade sighed, pulling out a large file, "a request has been made for a rather large force of ninja. Specifically, 'sixteen of our best, who have moderate social connections with each other, to fight numerous skirmishes and guard a very important member of society.' Furthermore, one of you has been requested by name."

Murmurs rose from the ninja, but Tsunade met no one's eyes.

"Here are your assignments," she handed each ninja in the room a small folder. "This mission will likely encompass several months, as the clients are currently in a war of sorts, and can easily pay for your skills for that amount of time. However, because it _is_ a war you will be fighting in, this is officially an A rank mission. If you don't feel comfortable taking this kind of mission, now is the time to speak up."

No one said a word. Tsunade nodded and sent the sixteen very curious ninja home to pack. "Be prepared to leave immediately," she called after them as they exited her office.

*~~*

"Wow, what do you think we'll be doing, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked as team seven left Hokage tower.

"Hmm, likely a little bit of everything, if we're going to fight in a war. We should read our mission assignments thoroughly before we sleep tonight." The silver-haired jounin seemed to be directing his advice at Naruto, but the chuunin was set on ignoring him.

Sakura and Kakashi turned off at the next corner, while Sasuke and Naruto continued down the road. Though Sasuke was silent, Naruto spoke enough for both of them.

"Damn Kakashi-sensei. Does he think I'm stupid or something? Like I'm not gonna read my assignment! Grr…he pisses me off sometimes!" He kicked a pebble on the path harshly, sending it flying into the night.

"He thinks you're immature, Naruto. You act it."

"Shut up, teme! Just 'cuz I like to play around doesn't mean I'm not a good ninja!"

"I know that, dobe. But they don't go together for him. Just ignore it."

Naruto snorted, disagreeing, and waved Sasuke off as he turned the corner to his apartment. Reaching his door, he twisted the key in the lock and threw the door shut behind him. Angrily he kicked his sandals at the door and threw his assignment folder on the table.

"Fuck the stupid assignment, I'm hungry," he growled, throwing his jacket over the back of his sofa and walking to the kitchen.

As he sat down to eat a bowl of instant ramen, Naruto tried to forget what Kakashi had said to him. The jounin was often rough on him, and it normally didn't phase him like this. "Tch, getting touchy. I'm hanging around Sasuke-teme too much," he mumbled to himself around a mouthful of noodles.

Tossing his empty ramen cup into the trash, Naruto stretched and flopped down onto his worn sofa. He pulled the folder onto his lap and opened it to read its contents. Surprisingly, the folder held only three documents.

The first document detailed their mission. The mission, as Tsunade had said, was to protect an important official (name unknown), and to fight as special ops in the client's war afterwards.

The second document listed the ninja assigned to the mission. Since he already knew who would be there, Naruto gave the document a quick scan and set it aside.

The third document listed their destination and employer.

Naruto dropped the paper in shock. He had to be reading it wrong. Pinching himself, he reread it, before shaking his head and placing it, along with the other papers, back into the folder.

He hadn't been reading it wrong.

Sighing, he rose and walked into his room. _It's been a long time since I've been there._ Kneeling down, Naruto popped a concealed drawer on his dresser and pulled out a hidden set of clothes. Folding the secret uniform, he set it in the bottom of his backpack, under several sets of his usual clothing. As a last touch, he prepared his weapons, either laying them next to his pack or readying them inside it.

Thoughts swirling in his head, Naruto took a quick shower before collapsing on his bed. _Tomorrow._


	2. Chapter 2

*~~*

The next morning, Naruto jerked awake as his alarm chirped loudly. Flopping out of bed, he pulled on a clean pair of clothes and snapped on his backpack and weapons. He could practically feel his secret burning through the bottom of his bag, but ignored it and walked to the kitchen. Running behind, he guzzled milk straight from the carton, slid his sandals on, and snatched his folder and keys before running out of his apartment at mach speed.

As he approached the gate, Naruto noticed that several others were also running behind. None of those people, however, were on his team.

"Late again, Naruto?" Sakura teased. Sasuke was silently ignoring the others, as usual, but Kakashi seemed to be giving the chuunin a slightly disapproving look. Honestly, it was hard to judge from only one eye.

Naruto stuck his tongue out at the pink-haired kunoichi and turned to look at the others. Gai's team seemed very chipper, except for Neji, who was conspicuously missing. Naruto would have guessed that he was busy eating breakfast with the other Hyuuga, but Hinata was present, though she seemed a bit tired. Kiba and Shino were also present, but their sensei Kurenai was absent. Shikamaru and his sensei Asuma were also absent.

Antsy, Naruto started a conversation with Kiba, who, unlike some of his other friends, seemed awake.

"Hey, Kiba, what's up?" Of course, just being near Kiba put Naruto in the immediate presence of Hinata, who turned bright red and began twiddling her fingers.

"Whaddya think?" Kiba yawned. Akamaru yawned in agreement. Caught by the infectious yawning, Naruto gave a wide, toothy yawn of his own.

"Bastard," he growled. "You did that on purpose!"

"Maybe," Kiba grinned. Akamaru yipped, tail wagging. Suddenly, Kiba turned and squinted at the path. "I think that's Kurenai-sensei."

Naruto turned and squinted similarly. "Yeah, and Shikamaru and his sensei. So all that leaves is Neji-white eyes. Wonder where that bastard is?"

"Who's a bastard?" a frigid voice snaked from the bushes. Naruto spun and pointed accusingly. "Don't sneak up on me, bastard!" Neji found himself ignoring Naruto's outburst, just like most of the others, as he joined his team.

Moments later, the sixteen ninja were well on their way. The jounin-sensei led the way, followed by jounin Sasuke, Sakura, and Neji, with the chuunin trailing behind.

"So," TenTen asked curiously, "any of you ever heard of this Quadgram place we're going to?" Everyone shook his head, and she sighed. "Great. We're walking blind into this place."

"Nonsense, TenTen-chan!" Gai spouted enthusiastically, answering her from the front of the group. "We jounin have been gifted with much knowledge about the Quadgram by our gracious Hokage! We know exactly where to go once we arrive! You need not worry; we have everything under control!"

While Gai's over-enthusiastic speech put the other chuunin at ease, Naruto found himself utterly pissed.

_Of course the fucking jounin get to know the privileged information._

Although the other ninja found Naruto suspiciously quiet during the long walk to the Quadgram, no one said anything to avoid jinxing their luck. At lunchtime, however, Hinata grew so worried that she actually spoke to her idol in private.

"Na…Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked quietly as she approached her crush. Naruto had distanced himself considerably from the group. Normally, he would be at the center, soaking up any and all attention. Today, he sat on the outside of the group, alone, with his back against a tree.

"Hm?" Naruto looked up from the picked-apart rice ball in his lap.

"Is something wrong…?" the Hyuuga heir tapered off, amazed at her own bravery.

"Oh! No, nothing's wrong, Hinata-chan!" the blonde chuunin smiled wide. Hinata nodded slightly, but a small frown still rested on her lips. "Really, Hinata-chan, I'm fine!" he assured her again.

Hinata, by some miracle, realized that she couldn't just take Naruto's words at face value. Suddenly, she was sitting next to him, offering him some of the hand-rolled sushi from her lunchbox. Naruto took it, dumbfounded.

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata whispered. "You don't have to act happy." Naruto opened his mouth to deny it, and froze. A wry smile lit his face.

"You're right, I'm not happy." He gave her a grin. "But I'm not sad, either. I'm just mad that Kakashi-sensei hasn't nominated me for jounin, yet. And I'm…anxious…about the mission." Hinata nodded in sympathy.

"Don't worry, Naruto-kun. I know it'll be okay." She wouldn't look at him, but he smiled at her anyway.

"Thanks for the sushi, Hinata-chan!" the blonde chirped happily, rising and gulping down his lunch. Hinata nodded as she watched him walk over to his pack and hurriedly root around inside it.

Because everyone else was busy eating and socializing, Hinata was the only one who saw Naruto pull a shiny, golden object from his bag and stick it to his left ear. As she tried to get a better look, her sensei rose and announced it was time to depart.

Immensely curious, Hinata did something she never thought she would do: she used the Byakugan to spy on Naruto.

Surprised at what she found, Hinata gave a quiet gasp. When Kiba turned to her in askance, she only shook her head.

Naruto was wearing a golden fox earring.

*~~*

I apologize, but after this, the chapters start to become a bit choppy. Originally I wrote this all out as one large story in one page, so I had to cut and paste the story into new documents in order to upload them. However, the story is so long that I really just didn't feel like find certain places to cut off each chapter. So, things get a little choppy in places. However, sometimes I do make the chapters cliffhangers on purpose, or cut them off because a new day starts on the next chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

I couldn't be bothered to look up the actual currency exchange rate of yen vs. American dollars. So even though I say yen, pretend that it's dollars. Because I know 1,000 yen is not a lot.

*~~*

It was nearing evening, and the sixteen ninja were close to their destination. Though it was an easy hike for them, the tension of a mission that involved war made the walk excessively tiring.

For perhaps the tenth time, someone yawned within Kiba and Naruto's hearing ranges, causing both boys to yawn widely. While Kiba ignored the yawn, Naruto finally exploded.

"Fucking quit yawning already!" he snapped angrily, pinching himself roughly to stop another yawn.

"Ugh, be quiet, Naruto," Sakura murmured. Exasperated, she gave him a push. Naruto frowned at her, but said nothing.

"Look, Gai-sensei!" Lee suddenly whooped excitedly, still completely fresh as a result of his taijutsu training. "A gate!" Everyone glanced where the goofy green chuunin, bouncing up and down with joy, was indicating with his finger.

Sure enough, a large red arch loomed in the near horizon.

"Hm…yes, that should be Quadgram," Kakashi confirmed, staring at the distant gate.

"What are we waiting for, Kakashi?!" Gai grinned. "The sooner we get there, the sooner we can eat and rest! As we are in the prime of our lives, I challenge you to a race, my rival! The first one to arrive at those heavenly, blessed, gates will be victorious!"

Gai, upon finishing his tirade, opened his eyes to find that everyone except Kakashi had gone on without him. And, while the others had gone on ahead, Kakashi had pulled out a map and was examining it carefully.

"What do you say, Kakashi?" Gai enunciated his rival's name with emphasis, hoping to spark interest in the other jounin.

"Hm? What was that Gai?" the masked jounin mumbled distractedly, scratching his chin and examining the map.

"Oooh, Kakashi, you're so coool! I wish I could be as cool and hip as you!" Gai wept in envy.

"Riiight…" Kurenai giggled as she led the rest of the group to the gate. Asuma tried to fight down a laugh, failed, and accidentally infected the rest of the group. Soon, all but the naïve Lee and Hinata, and the cool Shino, Sasuke, and Neji were cracking up.

Gai and Kakashi caught up to the group just as the laughter finally subsided. Coincidentally, they had also reached the gate.

Like Konoha's gate, Quadgram's gate was a wide, open arch in one long wall surrounding the city. Unlike Konoha's gate, Quadgram's gate was unguarded.

*~~*

"Do we just go in?" Ino asked, curious. Naruto waited and held his tongue.

"Hm…yes, and we go forward," Kakashi determined from the map he had with him.

The group proceeded into the city, and the younger ninja found themselves gaping. It was already late out, with the sky the color of an old bruise, yet the street was bustling with people of all ages. Establishments lined the street, and vendors were eagerly hawking their wares from carts.

"Go forward, huh?" Sakura found herself saying sarcastically. There was only one street to walk on; it led straight from the gate to the center of the city. All the others streets were only alleys, with barely enough room for three small people to walk down at a time.

Kakashi gave the girl a stern look, or so she guessed, and walked up to someone who appeared to be native to the city. The man was dressed all in black, and was very old.

"Excuse me, could you please direct us to an inn for the night?" Kakashi asked politely. The old man grinned and, pulling a pen from his pocket, circled several spots on Kakashi's map. Thanking the old man, the masked jounin proceeded to lead the group to the closest circle.

"We're gonna get lost at this rate," Naruto mumbled pessimistically.

"Don't say that!" Sakura shrieked, smacking the chuunin on the back of the head. As the blonde winced and rubbed his head, he caught a girl with short, spiky hair watching them in the crowd. The group started to pull away, and Sakura smacked him again: this time for staring.

Now Naruto was sure of it; the girl in the crowd was following them, frowning the whole time.

As the group exited the long street, they found themselves in a very large square that was jammed with even more people than the street had been. Three other streets led off the square in the other three directions.

On the right side of the square was the closest inn. Several women in red tended the front of the shop, singing to customers in sweet voices, enticing them to stay.

Kakashi was only moments talking with the head of the inn before he marched back out.

"Crazy woman wants 1,000 yen apiece per night!" Even the copy-nin could be ruffled, it seemed.

The next inn was in the southeast part of the city. The group had to walk down one of the narrow alleys, which, to their relief, widened after they passed the first building. Again, Kakashi was only moments before exiting.

"They wanted twice as much!" he said, appalled. For twenty more minutes, the group found itself traipsing across the city in search of an inn. They were met with no luck. Each inn wanted as much as or more than the last.

And as they wandered across the city, Naruto watched the frowning girl follow them from a distance.

Finally, in the northwestern part of the city, Kakashi put his foot down. "We're staying at the next inn," he told them resolutely, "if we have to clean the whole place as payment." The other jounin-sensei found themselves astounded with the new, assertive Kakashi, and the others found themselves just a little frightened.

Unlike the previous encounters, Kakashi had the entire group enter the establishment. He waited patiently beside the counter, and a gray-haired woman dressed in blue approached, a shrewd look in her eye.

"Eight rooms," Kakashi demanded. A predatory smile lit the old woman's face.

"3,000 yen apiece, per night," she told him as she leaned against her counter. Kakashi looked as though he might explode from an apoplectic fit.

The old woman looked the crowd over carefully. They were obviously ninja, new to the city, who couldn't afford to pay for board. She wondered how she would use their services, since they had no other payment to offer.

The girls would likely do the dishes and cooking for her since those were the lighter tasks, but the boys could be of great use for the heavier chores. Each boy looked strong, she noted, but the one in green was obviously incredibly strong, and the large one looked very sturdy.

Suddenly a glinting light caught the woman's eye and she found herself gazing into Naruto's electric blue eyes. The woman jerked in shock, and she blinked harshly as Naruto flicked his gold earring again, making it flash in the light.

"Did…did I say 3,000? Oops, my mistake! I meant 300…yes, 300 yen." The woman apologized profusely, calling for a girl to take the nice ninja to their rooms and take their dinner orders. Kakashi and the others blinked in confusion as the woman bowed in apology, dropping her price and offering them the nicest rooms.

The ninja paid abruptly, splitting into two groups. Sasuke, Shino, Neji, Shikamaru, and the girls headed to their rooms to call it a night, while the rest remained downstairs in the dining area to eat and talk. The jounin-sensei sat at one table, and the chuunin sat at another.

"Wonder what that was about?" Asuma voiced as he lounged at the table with Kakashi and Gai.

"Perhaps they found it in their hearts to be compassionate to the down-and-out!" Gai proposed with wild hand motions.

"Hmm…I don't think so, Gai. She seemed very shrewd when she offered the first price, but then it seemed as though something had frightened or embarrassed her very badly," Kakashi pointed out as he gazed over the menu.

"Well, I'm certainly not objecting," Asuma pointed out as he waved the waitress over. The red-haired girl fluttered over, wearing a frilly light blue apron over a dark blue dress.

The waitress took the jounin's orders, even ignoring Kakashi's avid stare, and bounced over to the chuunin's table.

"Can I take your ord-" the girl froze, dropping her notepad and stumbling. Automatically, Kiba reached out and caught her before she fell. As she apologized profusely, the chuunin waved her off, asking for menus and embarrassing her. As she disappeared into the back to deliver the jounin's orders to the cook, the boys conversed and delved into their menus.

"I think I shall order the grilled gyoza!" Lee declared as Chouji and Kiba inspected their menus. "What will you order, Naruto-san? You have not looked at your menu."

Naruto was lounging even more than Asuma, his head and arms dangling over the back of his chair. "Order?" Naruto mumbled distractedly and gave a toothy yawn. "Crab-fried rice and shrimp ramen."

As Lee began to ask Naruto a question, the waitress scurried back over, asking for their orders. Never missing a beat, Naruto ordered the seafood dishes. Similarly, the waitress wrote the orders down without hesitation. Lee and the others stared at Naruto with curiosity, but the blonde was dangling over his seat again, oblivious to them.

Ten minutes later, the waitress brought the eight ninja their orders, though she had to make several trips for Chouji's large meal. Lee had to admit, as he eyed Naruto's meal, that the seafood dishes looked much more appetizing than his order of gyoza.

Scarfing down his meal, Naruto rose, stretched, and looked back at his fellow chuunin. "I'm calling it a night, guys. Later." The other seven ninja watched bemusedly as the proprietor of the inn and the red-haired waitress dashed up the stairs moments after Naruto.

"W…wait!" the waitress called after Naruto as he walked down the hallway toward the rooms. Smiling, Naruto stopped and turned.

"It's been awhile, hasn't it, Asayake?" Naruto grinned at the waitress before giving her a hug.

"It _is _you! It's been eight years, you jerk! Why didn't you write?" Asayake laughed excitedly as she hugged the taller, younger boy.

"No time," he laughed. "And you, Hane-baa-chan!" he waved the older woman over and gave her a large hug.

"My!" she chortled happily as she returned the hug. "What are you here for dear? Business?" Naruto nodded. "Tsk," she scolded. "At least let us offer you our best room, for old time's sake!"

"Nah, thanks, Hane-baa-chan. The others'll be suspicious if I'm not around. I'll just share a room with Sasuke-teme."

"You haven't told them you've been here before?"

"Nope, or we woulda come here first instead of wasting time over in the other districts." Naruto smiled mischievously and the women laughed. "And I see you're still overcharging the tourists."

"Sorry about that," Hane gave him a sheepish but guiltless smile.

"Nah, no worries. I figured we'd get here eventually and I'd have to get your attention or we'd be cleaning this place till next month to pay for board."

"Well, we'll get back to work so that you don't get caught talking to us." Hane tweaked Naruto's nose playfully. "Tell them soon, okay? And come visit when you get some time, gaki."

The women waved bye as they trooped back down the stairs, and Naruto began the arduous task of finding Sasuke's room without accidentally walking into one of the girls' rooms.


	4. Chapter 4

*~~*

The next morning each and every ninja was present in the dining area, emphatically eating breakfast. Naruto was busy ignoring jealous looks from Kiba, Shikamaru, and Chouji as Asayake paid him a plethora of attention.

Ino, Sakura, and TenTen were also partly miffed.

"Just cause she isn't a ninja, I bet you," Ino spat.

"Can't believe she's paying him so much attention," Sakura frowned at the waitress subtly. "Is it because he's blonde?"

"Hm. She's sure putting the moves on him, all right," TenTen snarked. The others nodded in agreement.

Of course, all the "moves" were all in the girls' heads. If they had been sitting at the same table, they would have realized that Asayake was simply making small talk with an old friend, asking him what he did now with great interest.

As the redhead retreated into the back room with the breakfast dishes, the kunoichi, minus a very uninformed Hinata, stormed Naruto's table.

"So who was that, Naruto?" Sakura asked with false sweetness as they dragged extra chairs over to the table.

"Um, the waitress?" he blinked at her with confusion.

"She seems to like you a lot…" Ino trailed off suggestively.

"Okay…" Naruto was at a loss for words.

"She does seem excessively curious. Don'tcha think that's dangerous to the mission?" TenTen queried. Kiba, Shikamaru, and Chouji nodded in agreement.

"Uh, _no._ She's a waitress. What's she gonna do, beat me to death with a menu? Burn me with a hot bowl of soup? Overcharge me for my ramen?" Naruto grew angrier as he posed each guess. They had a right to worry, of course, but they were insulting his friend.

"I think you should be more careful, Naruto," Sakura chided. "This girl's obviously got you head-over-heels already, and you don't know a thing about her."

Pissed, Naruto jerked out of his seat and moved over to Sasuke's table, closer to the door. As he sat, he noticed the spiky-haired girl from the previous night enter the inn and walk over to the group of ninja. Although she caught his eye for a moment, she moved passed him and approached the older ninja.

"Are you the group of ninja from Konoha?" she asked loudly, making sure she had their attention.

The sixteen ninja turned and gawked at the girl, quickly memorizing her appearance for future reference. She was approximately twenty, with short, spiky, chestnut hair, green eyes, and outrageous clothes. She wore a light blue shirt with wide straps and no sleeves that hugged tightly to her frame and dipped low on her breasts. A bird in flight was embroidered in dark blue on her light-colored shirt, and several similar birds were embroidered in light blue on her dark blue, baggy pants. She wore dark blue ninja sandals, dark blue ninja gloves, and a dark blue jacket with short sleeves that reached down to her feet. A silver bird of some sort dangled on the end of her necklace.

"Well?" she demanded shortly. "Are you or not?"

"Um, yes. How may we help you?" Kurenai barely mustered the will to speak; the girl's clothing had simply frozen everyone else's minds with its unusual style.

"Once our leader learned of your location, he sent me to retrieve you. Are you ready to go?" Despite her unusual flair, the ninja seemed all-business.

"Now?" Sakura gasped in surprise.

"Yes, _now_," the girl snapped at pink-haired kunoichi. "We have a lot for you to accomplish, and we don't have much time, I'm afraid. Please, if you are finished eating, follow me." Without waiting for confirmation, the girl began to walk away.

"Wait!" Ino shouted after the girl. "Let us get our things, at least!"

The girl waited impatiently for the Konoha ninja, and then led them down a twisting series of alleyways/streets. Finally, they exited one last alley and found themselves in the immense front yard of an enormous mansion.

"Welcome to our base!" the girl announced loudly, with a cheer that rivaled Lee's. "This is where you'll be staying for the next few months!"

Smiling, she led the sixteen foreign ninja inside the front door into a large chamber. Inside the room, a large, muscular, older man stood speaking with two younger men in whispers. As they walked deeper into the room, the older man looked up and quietly dismissed the other two.

"Ah, ninja of Konoha," he greeted in a deep, sagacious voice. "As leader of Guild, I would like to welcome you to the Quadgram and my humble home."

*~~*

The Konoha ninja stared in amazement. The man was at least six feet tall, and was very muscular. He looked approximately forty, with short, blue-gray hair, dark blue pants, a white shirt, and a dark blue vest. On one side of his vest was a tiger rampant, and a dragon blazed on the other side. The man seemed to have a commanding presence, and as he approached the group, the ninja were filled with awe.

"Welcome," he repeated, giving a deep bow and waiting respectfully for someone to address him.

Kakashi walked forward, returned the bow, and shook the man's hand. "You commissioned us for a mission?"

"Ah, yes. Sparrow?" he turned and looked at the girl who had led them to the mansion. "Please find the others and wait for us in the meeting room." The girl bowed and left quickly.

"Now, if you would all please follow me?" he led the group down several hallways and stopped in front of a large, ornate door. The man removed a small key from his vest, unlocked the door, and led them inside.

The room they entered was twice as large as the chamber they had left. Against one wall was a dais, with two thrones sitting on it. The left throne was large and ornate, with a gold frame and blue cushions. The right throne was only slightly smaller, but was identical in appearance.

Below the dais were a long, rectangular, marble table and four marble chairs. Seated in these chairs were four men of various builds, each facing the dais and away from the ninja.

Suddenly, the door opened from behind, and Sparrow and six others walked in and shut the door.

"Well," the man began, "I think I should explain. I trust you understand very little about Quadgram, and had a rough time last night?"

Kakashi nodded, slightly taken back.

"Here in the Quadgram," he explained, "there are four…gangs I suppose I should say. The city is run by these four gangs, and is divided up evenly among them. The northeast corner is Force territory. Force members wear red." The leaf-nin recalled the first inn, where the first outrageous price was set.

"The southeast corner is Destruction territory. Destruction members wear black." Kakashi frowned as he recalled the old man who had given them directions.

"The southwest corner is Honor territory. Honor members wear green. Finally, the northwest corner is Guild -our- territory. Our members," he gestured at himself and the others in the room, "wear blue."

Smiling, he walked up to the dais and seated himself in the larger throne.

"I am Tigerdragon, the leader of Guild. These four," he gestured at the men seated at the marble table, who turned and looked at the leaf-nin, "are my four commanders. As you can see, my second-in-command is currently missing." The ninja looked at the empty throne.

"The reason I contracted you," Tigerdragon explained, "is that Destruction is trying to take more of the city than they are allowed. They are attempting to start a war, and I cannot allow that to happen."

"Now, while you are here, I ask that you follow the same rules as my own ninja. Sparrow," he gestured to the girl, "will explain shortly. If you have any questions, feel free to ask her. Now, if you will please excuse me, I must meet with my commanders on a very important matter." Tigerdragon smiled, and Sparrow ushered the ninja out the door, which clicked locked behind them.

"First," she began, "let's get you to your rooms." She led them down more hallways, which the ninja were sick of by now, and into a long, dead-end hallway.

"These," she gestured, "are the empty rooms we have available. Tigerdragon-sama asks that you please remain his guests while you are here. There are plenty of rooms, so feel free to have a room to yourself." She shooed the ninja when they stood around like statues, pointing them to several rooms.

Smiling, Naruto walked over to a room near the end, pushed the door open, and threw his bag onto the bed. The room was very Spartan, but spacious and comfortable. Stretching, he pulled the door shut behind him as he walked back into the hall.

While he was putting his bag in the room, it seemed as though the girls had gone insane. They, and a few of the boys, were running around looking at all the rooms, claiming the ones they liked for themselves.

When everyone returned to the hallway, Sparrow began to announce the rules. "The first rule is that no one uses his real name. For example, I am Sparrow. This is Oriole, and this is Fennec." Sparrow indicated two other girls. "Your new code names will be assigned to you shortly, before you begin any missions. Please refrain from using real names as much as possible, unless you are certain you're alone. Secondly, we work in groups. Like the names, groups are still uncertain. Orders from our leader, our second, our commanders, or our squad leaders are final. Finally, never go into another gang's territory unless it is part of the mission. We are on friendly terms with most squads on all of the gangs, but they technically have the right to kill you if you step on their turf. Some of them will kill you."

She watched the leaf-nin's faces with interest; they seemed very perplexed by the rules, but willing to follow them.

"Now, are there any questions?" No one said anything.

"Okay, then. Later, someone will come for you and take you back to Tigerdragon-sama to better discuss your assignments. You're welcome to explore the mansion, but please don't go outside just yet." Bowing simultaneously, the seven Guild members retreated down the hall.

*~~*


	5. Chapter 5

*~~*

"Well, that was certainly informative," Ino drawled.

"What should we do, sensei?" Sakura turned to Kakashi.

"I think it's probably best if we take her advice and explore this place the best we can. We're going to be here a while, and clearly we don't know our way around," Kakashi announced to the group.

The sixteen ninja split up, walking down the hall and disappearing in different directions. Most of them found themselves walking in pairs as they explored. By some force of luck, Naruto found himself walking alone. Grinning wide, he backtracked to his room, pulled out his secret uniform, and dressed.

Clothed in his new attire, Naruto left his room and made a beeline for the nearest side door. As he walked the maze-like hallways, the blonde met up with the seven ninja who had led the leaf-nin to their rooms.

"Hey, Sparrow," Naruto waved, catching the group's attention.

"Fox!" several of the ninja shouted in surprise. Naruto's grin widened, and Sparrow ran over, giving him an enormous hug.

"You came back!" she cheered, smiling brightly.

"Sure did," he grinned back at her before addressing the others. "What? None of you missed me?"

"Fox!" two more girls tore from the group, joining Sparrow and Naruto in a group hug. Naruto laughed riotously.

"Okay, guys, that hurts," he chuckled nervously. With sheepish smiles, the three backed off, grins still etched on their faces.

"Ne, Foxy, it's been a while since you've worn that, I bet," said the taller of the two new girls. Naruto was dressed in a silky, dark blue, long-sleeved shirt that loosely covered his torso, and pants made of the same silky, dark blue material. On his head he wore a bandana similar to a hitai-ate without a forehead protector, and he wore a golden chain as a belt around his waist. His fox earring and his belt shined with the same golden hue.

"And how long have you been wearing the same thing, Fennec?" Naruto retorted.

Fennec had light brown hair with a shock of dark blue near the front. She wore a fishnet tank top limned with dark blue under a sleeveless, dark blue tunic banded in light blue. The dark blue lining of the fishnet connected to a dark blue collar around her neck by a thin strip of dark blue cloth, while a light blue belt kept her tunic closed around her waist and a silver clasp in the shape of some animal kept her tunic fastened near her chest.

On her arms rested dark blue arm warmers with silver hand guards. The arm warmers fastened with light blue material further up her arms. Her pants and sandals, unlike the rest of her clothes, were simple, dark blues exactly like his own.

The most shocking of her features, however, were her eyes. While her left eye was bright blue, her right eye was brilliantly green, emphasized by the three scars over the eyebrow.

"Hey, Oriole still wears the same outfit, too!" Fennec pointed at the other girl. A hair clip in the shape of a bird pinned back her black hair on the left side of her face, keeping it out of her green-hazel eyes.

"Come on now, Fox just got back," a large boy walked out of the group, interrupting Oriole's retort. "He doesn't wanna talk about fashion."

Smiling, the large boy walked over and shook Naruto's hand. "It's been a while, man. Glad to have you back."

"Thanks, Boar," Naruto nodded at the sandy-haired ninja, who stood aside as the final three ninja in the group approached.

"Squirrel, Bat, Wolf." Naruto greeted each in turn.

"It is good to see you again, Fox," Squirrel, a brown-haired girl in a dark blue haori and hakama, greeted him politely.

"No kidding. Thought you were gone for good," Bat, a spiky-haired, brunette boy, smirked.

"I'm glad you could come and help," Wolf acknowledged. He wore an outfit identical to Fennec's, though his was silver, and had long, black hair.

"Well, I think we should go out and celebrate!" Fennec cheered, latching onto the blonde and hauling him down the hallway.

"Wait for us, Fennec!" Oriole shouted in surprise, snatching Squirrel and Sparrow's hands and dragging them along in an attempt to catch up.

Halfway down the hall, Fennec turned and shouted, "Hurry up, guys! We can't go drinking without you!" As Bat and Boar ran after them in excitement, Wolf shook his head and followed at a more sedate pace.

At the door, Naruto finally broke free and laughed, "Okay, Fennec, calm down. I can walk you know."

"We know," Sparrow broke in, poking the blonde in the side. "But we're excited. We haven't seen you in eight years."

"Okay, okay, let's go," Naruto followed the others out the door.

Down the hallway, Sasuke, Kiba, and Neji walked by just as Naruto walked out the door.

"Was that Naruto?" Kiba turned to the Uchiha as he pointed at the door.

"Let's go," Sasuke sighed, heading down the hall. "We can't just let him run wild and disobey orders in another city while he's on a mission."

Agreeing, the three ninja walked down the hallway and threw open the door in time to see Naruto turn down an alleyway and disappear. Just as they walked out the door, they heard a piercing squeal.

"What are you doing?!" Sakura yanked the door open and shouted. Ino stood at her side with a frown on her face.

"Naruto went into the city. We're going to get him back." Sasuke said quickly.

"We need to go find Kakashi-sensei," worried, Sakura turned to search for the silver-haired jounin.

"It'll take you too long to find him in that maze," Sasuke took off after Naruto with Kiba and Neji at his heels. Akamaru, ordered to stay behind, curled up for a nap by the doorway.

"He's right, you know," Ino pointed out.

Growling, Sakura grabbed Ino's hand and sprinted off after the boys.

*~~*

"So everyone's been causing you trouble since I left?" Naruto frowned at the news his friends were giving him.

"Not everyone," Sparrow objected. "Blaze and his gang behave. And Honor's always on their best behavior."

"But everything else went to Hell?" Naruto looked around at the others for an answer.

"Pretty much," Boar agreed. Naruto gave an angry sigh as the eight ninja walked into a pub and seated themselves.

"I knew I shouldn't have left," Naruto growled.

"Nonsense!" Sparrow smacked his arm. "You have to become Hokage. Nothing that happens here is more important than that!"

"Yeah!" Oriole and Fennec shouted in agreement.

Suddenly, all seven ninja were cheering him on and berating him for getting upset. As the noise filled the pub, Naruto found himself relaxing for the first time in ages.

"Well, well, well, looks like someone found his way back for an ass-kicking," a voice taunted from a table over. Naruto looked up and saw a boy his own age with short, orange, spiky hair wearing a red training uniform and a flame necklace.

"Blaze?" Naruto stood up and walked over to the next table to get a closer look.

"In the flesh. Where've you been? There's been no one to challenge me in years," Blaze gave a cocky smile from his seat. The five ninja with him gave equally confident smirks.

"I was away on a little business, but I came back to kick your ass." Two of the other ninja frowned and rose, but Blaze waved them back into their seats.

"Oh, you think you can beat me? You haven't done this in years; what makes you think you've still got it?" The redhead gestured for the Guild ninja to sit. Scooting over in the large, comfy booth, the Force ninja made room for all eight Guild ninja. Though the others sat in random places, Blaze and Naruto sat directly across from each other.

"You've never even won a single round. What's changed?" Naruto teased.

"All right, you're going down!" Blaze smacked the table and ordered six strong drinks from the waitress.

At the same time, Sasuke, Kiba, Neji, Sakura, and Ino walked into the pub. It was difficult finding their blonde friend after losing sight of him so many times, but Kiba's intense sense of smell saved the day and led them to the right building. Each ninja diligently scanned the room, but Neji saw Naruto first, pointing over at the overcrowded booth.

The leaf-nin walked over to the table, death in their eyes, and found Naruto and a redhead each chugging a large mug of liquid while ninja in blue and red cheered them on wildly.

Each boy slammed his mug on the table and reached for another, drinking the second mug slowly.

"You won't win," Naruto grinned as he sipped his drink.

"That's my line," Blaze frowned as he took a sip of his own.

"What the Hell's going on?" Sakura shouted, hands on her hips.

The twelve cheering ninja looked up, startled, and saw the five leaf-nin standing in front of the table. Naruto and Blaze, however, continued staring each other down in total concentration.

"Well?" the pink-haired kunoichi shouted again when no one answered her.

"A drinking contest," Sparrow frowned at the girl before looking back at the competing ninja. The two were on their third mugs, and the waitress was bringing more over.

"He's not old enough to drink alcohol," Sakura bellowed, pointing at Naruto.

"It's not alcohol," Naruto told her, though he kept his eyes on his opponent. Each drained the third mug and picked up a fourth.

"It's a strong drink made from spices, called iyasu," Squirrel answered helpfully. Suddenly the leaf-nin were pushed aside as two waitresses dragged an extra table over and had them sit.

"So I see you made some new friends," Naruto smirked, glancing quickly at the two Force ninja who had stood up earlier before looking back at Blaze.

The leaf-nin stared in confusion at the drinking match as a waitress shoved menus into their hands and walked away.

"Maybe they're our new secret weapons. I see you made new friends too," Blaze taunted, knocking back half his drink.

Naruto laughed. "Just some reinforcements for when things get ugly. We'll need them if we're gonna make it through this war."

"Really? And I'm sure that leader of yours has things all worked out, too," he grinned. "With the second-in-command back in town, who's gonna need a bunch of third-rate hired hands to fight? They're just distractions and you know it."

Each boy reached for his fifth mug.

"Heh, you caught us. But I'm sure you have tactics worked out, too. We bring in distractions to keep Destruction off guard. What do you do?" Naruto lounged back and sipped his drink with a toothy smile.

"Oh no you don't, damn you," Blaze slurred as he set his mug down. " I'm not leaking anything this time. You don't need to know what we're gonna do."

The waitress came around to take the bewildered leaf-nin's orders and set down more mugs of iyasu.

"We'll take some of that iyasu," Kiba said as he handed the waitress back his menu. The others nodded in agreement, though they didn't take their eyes off the contest.

"No," Naruto interrupted, taking his eyes off the Force ninja and staring at the waitress. "They'll have some shou."

"The Hell?" Kiba turned and glared, but Naruto was already watching Blaze again, and the other Quadgram ninja were cheering.

"Sixth mug," Blaze cackled, lounging in his seat with a glaze over his eyes.

"I thought it was seventh," Naruto slurred, leaning against the table and grinning goofily.

"Heh, you're terrible with numbers. Always think we got twenty-two squads and we really got twenty-five. Or you think we got more members than we do. You're pathetic," the redhead snorted and sucked down more iyasu.

"Yeah, well, ninja don't need to count. Besides, if you got more squads than we do, does it really matter if we count yours right? You'd beat us anyway, right?" Naruto giggled and dropped his head on the table.

"Damn right!" Blaze tried to stand up, but fell over the table, knocking heads with Naruto.

"Gah!" both boys winced and grabbed their heads, glaring at each other.

"The Hell? Starting a fight, Foxy?" Blaze tried to point at his opponent, but was actually pointing at Sasuke. Kiba and Ino snorted in laughter as Sasuke and Sakura blushed. Neji arched an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Bring it on, Sparky!" Naruto stuck his tongue out at the redhead, whose eyes crossed indignantly. Frowning, Blaze grabbed a seventh mug. Naruto copied him.

"For the win!" Blaze whooped, standing shakily and waving the mug in the air before downing half in one gulp.

"Damn straight!" Naruto jerked upright, downing his whole mug at once and stumbling.

As he slammed his mug back down, Naruto noticed that Blaze had passed out quite brilliantly. His head rested on the table in a small pool of iyasu and slobber, and left hand had landed on his female teammate's breast. As the girl screamed indignantly, Naruto's friends cheered.

Laughing, a second Force kunoichi rose, gathered Blaze to his feet, and ushered the squad out of the pub. Their payment lie on the table, and the waitress rushed over, gathered it up, placed the leaf-nin's shou on the table, and walked away.

"Come on guys," Naruto turned to the Konoha ninja, "get over here."

The five joined them, taking the Force ninja's places.

"You're drunk, aren't you?" Sakura frowned as she took a sip of the shou. Kiba reached out to grab the untouched mug of iyasu in the center of the table, but Naruto pulled it over and took a big gulp.

"Nah, I'm fine, Sakura-chan," Naruto grinned, sitting up straight.

"Bull," Kiba laughed, tasting the shou, "you were crazy drunk."

Naruto laughed again, and looked at the Guild ninja with a smirk.

"Why did you leave the house?" Neji said bluntly, voicing what the others had forgotten.

"To go drinking, of course!" Naruto whooped, lifting his mug in the air in a toast. The Guild ninja knocked glasses with him and cheered.

The leaf-nin frowned.

"That's not an excuse," Sasuke scolded the blonde, who ignored him and started a raucous drinking song. Soon all eight Guild ninja were chanting to the bewilderment of the others.

"Ne, introduce us to your friends," Sparrow giggled as the song ended and leaned on the table. Sakura made a face of disgust at the girl's flirty behavior.

"Neji, Kiba, Sasuke, Sakura, Ino." He pointed to each one in turn. Grinning, he turned his introductions to the Guild ninja.

"Boar, Bat, Squirrel, Wolf, Fennec, Oriole, Sparrow."

"I thought we weren't supposed to use real names," Sasuke studied Sparrow carefully.

"Che, we don't care who you are," she smiled, sipping her drink.

"What are you drinking?" Kiba interrupted, trying to get a better look at the liquid in her mug.

"Shou, same as you. Only a better year, I'm sure," she laughed, dipping her fingers in the liquid and flipping some at the boy. As the liquid landed on his face, the Guild girls started laughing wildly.

"Where the Hell are my cookies?" Fennec roared suddenly, making the leaf-nin jump. Angry, she got to her knees and turned around in the booth, gesturing angrily at the waitresses to hurry up.

Oriole, Sparrow, and Fox snickered, and a frantic waitress ran over with a tray of warm cookies. With a manic look on her face, the feisty kunoichi dug into her tray of cookies.

"Shouldn't we be getting back?" Sasuke interrupted the feeding frenzy. "You're as drunk as a lush and we shouldn't be out anyway."

"I'm not drunk!" Naruto frowned.

"Then why can't we drink any of that iyasu?" Kiba mentioned pointedly. "You just don't want us knowing you're drinking alcohol."

"It's not that," Bat jumped in. "He's the only one who can handle the stuff, really."

"Bullshit," Kiba growled. "I can take anything he can."

Frowning, Naruto poured some of his iyasu into Kiba's shou. "Drink up," he said cheerfully. Kiba took a deep sip and Sparrow gasped.

"It's good!" Kiba grinned and took another sip. As he drank it down, his grin grew goofier and goofier, until he passed out altogether.

The leaf-nin looked over in concern.

"I don't get it," Ino blinked worriedly. "You drank seven glasses, and he had half a cup of it watered down."

"He's immune to it," Fennec mumbled through a mouth full of cookies. "We build up immunity to it by drinking a lot of it over time, but he's really mastered the art." Fennec choked with laughter as she watched Sparrow poke the passed-out leaf-nin and shake her head sadly.

"We should still get back. This is against the rules of our mission," Sasuke repeated, hoping someone would see sense. Sakura and Neji were nodding in agreement, though Ino seemed to be enjoying the moment.

"So who is this loser?" Fennec pointed over at Sasuke as she looked at Naruto.

Laughing uncontrollably, Naruto finally managed to say, "That's Uchiha Sasuke."

"Uchiha?" Oriole and Fennec repeated at the same time.

"He's a fan?" Oriole looked at Fennec mischievously.

"Let's beat him!" They cheered at the same time and reached over the table. Sasuke pulled back, slightly out of their reach, and Naruto seized the kunoichi by their collars.

"Down. Sit. Stay." They frowned at him but left the Uchiha alone.

Knocking back the last of his iyasu, Naruto rose and threw Kiba over his shoulder. "Let's go back, then," he looked at his friends as the table. Sparrow pulled a wad of bills from her pocket and shoved some under her mug before they left.

A/N

Now, these are the Mary-Sue characters. (Mostly just the girls. The guys are usually just our ideas of hey, let's make someone who is like this.) At first, they are going to be quite Sue-ish. If you read this story all the way through, (what I have up, at least) please tell me if you think they lose their Sue-ness and become more like actual characters. I think that they do, but then, I have a more solid idea of them in my mind that what is probably portrayed in this fiction.

Also, try to remember who is who, because there are a ton of more OC's on their way.


	6. Chapter 6

*~~*

"Where have you been?" Kakashi asked coolly, though he was obviously angry. "I expected this from Naruto, but not from you two. You're supposed to act like jounin," he glared at his team angrily. Neji stood nearby with a passed out Kiba hanging off his shoulder and a worried Ino pacing next to him. The Guild ninja had already left.

"Don't blame them, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto interrupted. "I went out, and they were bringing me back." Kakashi turned his glare on the blonde, and noticed the outfit for the first time.

"I see. Sasuke, Sakura, take Kiba to his room. All of you go back to your rooms," Kakashi pointed down the hall. Naruto remained rooted to the spot; he knew the jounin wasn't done with him.

"You're irresponsible, Naruto," Kakashi said coldly. "You could have gotten lost or injured in this strange place, or endangered the mission. One day in a new place, and you're already out drinking with strangers. If I catch you breaking the rules again, I'll walk you back to Konoha myself." Turning on his heels, the jounin retreated to his room to cool off.

Angry, Naruto punched the wall, leaving a large dent and crumbling plaster. Upset, he went back to his room, locked it, and went to sleep for the night.

*~~*

Naruto slept through breakfast and lunch the next morning, and Kakashi sent no one to retrieve him. The copy-nin figured the blonde needed the time to think things over, and left him to sulk. Even though it was three the next afternoon, no one had come for the leaf-nin.

Rather than cooping them up, however, Tigerdragon sent someone to let them out into the training fields out back to practice.

Once everyone was out back, Naruto snuck out of his room and made his way over to the large chamber with the locked door. Pulling a key from his pocket, he popped open the door and locked it behind him. Sitting in the main throne on the dais was Tigerdragon.

"Ah, Fox, nice you could make it," the older man called from his seat with a smirk.

"It's been a long time, sensei," Naruto smiled as he approached the dais.

"It's good to have you back, Fox. We really needed you here to help out." Tigerdragon rose, and Naruto followed him into a side room. Inside the room were several bookcases and a desk littered with papers. Guild's leader lifted several papers off the desk and handed them to the blonde.

"Have you decided teams yet? Or names? It would be best to initiate the others as soon as possible. It's impossible to tell when Destruction will attack, and we'll need all the backup we can get." Tigerdragon searched through stacks of papers on his desk.

"Here," he handed Naruto a folder.

"What's this?" the blonde set the first papers aside and opened the folder.

"Loose ends from when you left. Here," he pushed the folder out of the way and handed Naruto back the original papers. "First separate the leaf ninja into groups so that we can start training them to fight properly."

Naruto nodded, grabbed a pen, and walked back into the main chamber with the papers and the folder. He sat down on the marble table, setting the folder aside, and began separating the leaf ninja into groups.

As Naruto quickly finished the paperwork, Tigerdragon sat down in his throne.

"So I hear you started some trouble?" the leader smirked as he lounged in his chair.

"Heh, a little. Went out drinking with the others after Sparrow told everyone that we weren't supposed to leave the house. Got chewed out when we came back. I lost my temper." His pen flew as he filled out the paperwork.

"I'm used to the dents, I assure you," Tigerdragon drawled.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to bust the wall. I've been having trouble getting my sensei's respect lately." Naruto chewed on the pen as he contemplated placing himself in a group or not.

Tigerdragon said nothing, but frowned and motioned for Naruto to come over. The blonde rose, grabbing the folder and the papers, and sat in the second throne.

"Here," Naruto handed the completed paperwork to the leader and opened the folder again.

As Tigerdragon perused the paperwork, Naruto went through the papers in the folder, alternately frowning and grinning.

"Well, sensei," Naruto said sarcastically, "you've been busy. You kept my bank account open? But no one's allowed to go to my house? Or my original room at the squad house?" He frowned at the older man.

Tigerdragon chuckled and handed the forms back to Naruto. "You have a lot of secrets, and I thought it best they not be discovered. And besides, I thought you might need the money from your account."

"I haven't been here in years! How is it fair for me to get a paycheck if I'm not here?!" Naruto gestured at his bank statements wildly.

"Temper, temper," Tigerdragon chided, waving his finger with mock shame. "You've been doing important paperwork by mail, haven't you? That's still work."

Naruto snorted and put the folder on the floor with disgust. "Didn't feel like work, sensei."

"Nonsense, it was important," Tigerdragon insisted. Naruto shook his head in disagreement as the door to the chamber was pushed open. An apologetic Sparrow entered and quickly shut the door behind her.

Tigerdragon straightened on his throne and asked the distressed girl what was wrong.

"Well," Sparrow smiled nervously, "the leaf-nin just discovered they can't use chakra. Their leader is outside and he wishes to speak with you."

"Uh-oh," Naruto chimed melodically in mock concern. Forms in hand, he walked over to the girl. "Don't worry about it, Sparrow. We'll deal with it." He shooed the girl to the door.

Looking back over her shoulder, she gave the blonde a grateful smile and walked out the door. It was only moments before she re-entered, Oriole, Fennec, and the Konoha ninja at her heels.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Kakashi asked coldly and suspiciously, giving Tigerdragon a harsh look. Tigerdragon remained silent, letting the copy-nin finish.

"Why is our chakra being blocked? Sakura was almost severely injured!" he pointed at the pink-haired kunoichi to emphasize his point. The girl looked pale and shaken, and had several deep scratch marks all over her body. She was leaning against Sasuke for support, and looked like she might fall over any second. The other ninja were crowded closely together, as though they were protecting the girl.

"She was going to do a replacement jutsu, and was almost speared by several dozen kunai." Kakashi finished, spying Naruto standing off to the side of dais and looking worriedly at Sakura.

"I'm sorry that the girl was injured," Tigerdragon calmly met Kakashi's eye. "But here in the Quadgram, no one can use chakra, not even us. There is a machine deep underground that surrounds the city about half a mile out, and it blocks a set amount of chakra. If you have less than that set amount, you can't use chakra at all."

The upset leaf ninja looked at each other worriedly.

"Why did you commission ninja if you knew we couldn't use chakra? And why didn't you tell us about this right away?" Kurenai asked angrily.

"I expected ninja who were skilled in all areas, not just ninjutsu," Tigerdragon answered calmly. "And because I intended to have you all trained to fight in these conditions, I did not expect a lack of chakra to be such an immediate problem."

"Should we pull out of this mission?" Gai turned to the other jounin-sensei worriedly.

"It's not that we can't pull this off, Gai. But we could be seriously injured. Most of us aren't taijutsu experts," Asuma whispered.

"But they are going to train us," Kurenai added.

"And Hokage-sama will likely lose her temper if we back out of the mission," Kakashi pointed out.

"Hey!" Naruto shouted from the side of the room as he ran over to them. "We can't just give up! We can do this; we've done tougher things, right?!" He grinned widely, boosting his friends' morale.

"Remember when we thought the chuunin exams were tough? Well this is a cakewalk compared to that! Come on, one accident and we back down?! No way! We can do it!" he shouted encouragement loudly, getting his friends to agree. Assured that the others wouldn't back down, he laughed and danced around the group.

"So you will be staying?" Tigerdragon inquired, still very calm.

"It appears so," Kakashi answered, frowning in disapproval at the ditzy, blonde boy dancing circles around their group.

"Then I should assign you to your groups and code names, while you are here."

Naruto, realizing that he still held the forms, stopped dancing and walked up to the dais, a serious look on his face.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled angrily, despite her condition, "what are you doing?" The jounin-sensei, worried that the blonde's arrogance would offend their client, darted forward to stop him. Suddenly, the four found kunai at their necks and froze.

"Don't touch him," Sparrow whispered dangerously as she adjusted the kunai at Asuma and Kurenai's necks. Oriole held a kunai to Kakashi, and Fennec held one to Gai.

The leaf ninja looked at the Guild ninja in surprise, and then the students rushed forward to help their sensei.

"Stop!" Naruto turned and yelled, and the leaf ninja froze, though Sasuke had managed to get a kunai to Sparrow's neck. Slowly, the Guild ninja lowered their kunai and backed away from the jounin.

The three girls bowed, walked over to a wall, and lounged against it, anger smoldering in their eyes. The Konoha ninja stared, and Fennec gave them an evil, menacing smile.

Sighing and shaking his head, Naruto stepped onto the dais and sat in the empty throne. Worried, the leaf ninja stared at their client to gauge his reaction. Tigerdragon started to laugh, startling the commissioned ninja.

"I would like to introduce you to my second," Tigerdragon grinned brightly, "My student, Fox." He patted Naruto on the back proudly.

Naruto smiled widely as the leaf ninja stared, utterly confused.


	7. Chapter 7

A good portion of this chapter will seem useless and boring on its own, but will make sense about...fifteen or so chapters from now. Much later.

*~~*

"You're kidding, right?" Kiba pointed at Naruto skeptically.

The jounin-sensei were quiet, unsure what to say.

"Sorry, Kiba. No joke," Naruto lounged with his elbows on his knees as he taunted his fellow chuunin.

"That doesn't even make sense!" Sakura shouted angrily, glaring at her teammate. "How can you be second? The mission said the second was missing!"

"I _was_ missing, Sakura-chan. I wasn't here, was I?" He grinned again, laughing at the faces his friends were making. The leaf-nin were all very confused, and the Guild-nin were smiling predatorily at the confused ninja.

When the room became silent, but tense from the confusion, Tigerdragon re-entered the conversation.

"Fox came here when he was five, and lived in the Quadgram for five years, before he returned to Konoha. When I commissioned you all, I specifically asked for his friends, because I knew that he would be here for several months. He has been my second for several years, and I trust that you will all follow his orders." Tigerdragon gave the ninja a serious look, before rising and walking into his office.

The looks on the foreign ninja's faces were hilarious. Most of them were gaping in shock, though Hinata looked pleasantly surprised, and Kakashi looked blank, as though his brain had stopped working.

"He's…serious…" Sasuke found himself muttering in surprise.

"No way," Kiba said disbelievingly.

As they stood gaping, Tigerdragon returned from his office with a small wooden box. Seating himself on his throne, he gestured vaguely to Naruto, who nodded.

Suddenly, Naruto seemed extremely serious.

"I'm going to call your name," he told them, "and then give you a code name and assign you to a squad. Here," he opened the wooden box and showed them its contents," are symbols that show your loyalty to Guild." Shiny metal jewelry in the shapes of various animals sat in the box.

Everyone remained staring, and Naruto began to read off the names.

"Shikamaru." The lazy ninja snapped out of his stupor and cautiously approached the dais. Naruto rummaged around inside the box and tossed a silver piece of jewelry to Shikamaru, who caught it in the air.

"You're Deer," Naruto told him. The piece, Shikamaru saw, was in the shape of a stag. "Your squad leader is…" he scanned his list, thinking, "Boar." Though Shikamaru had no idea who Boar was, he nodded and walked back to the group, glancing curiously at the silver stag in his hand.

"Kakashi." The silver-haired jounin walked forward, completely blank. He seemed so scatter-minded that he nearly dropped the piece that was thrown to him.

"You're Retriever," sure enough, the silver piece was in the shape of a retriever. "Husky will be your squad leader." Kakashi nodded automatically, but stopped suddenly and looked up at his student.

"My squad leader?" he echoed indignantly. Naruto nodded.

"Yes. You're not used to fighting the way we do." He gave his sensei a shooing motion and called the next name.

"Kurenai." As Kakashi re-entered the group, the kunoichi approached, unable to believe she was following orders from her friend's student.

"You're Cardinal," Naruto tossed a silver piece in the shape of a flying cardinal to the jounin-sensei. "Your squad leader is Sparrow." Recognizing the name, Kurenai turned to see Sparrow waving at her from the wall.

"Gai. You're turtle. Your group leader is Crocodile." He tossed the man a black piece in the shape of a turtle.

"TenTen. Panda. Your group leader is Rhino." She received a gold, panda-shaped piece.

"Asuma. Black Bear. Your leader is Kodiak." Asuma's piece was black and bear-shaped.

"Ino. Pig." Sakura snorted with laughter, and Ino blushed, angry and embarrassed. "Your leader is Horse." Ino's jewelry was golden, and shaped like a pig.

"Chouji. Butterfly. Your leader is Wasp." Chouji's piece was silver, and butterfly-shaped.

"Shino. Scarab. Your leader is also Wasp." Shino received a black piece in the shape of a scarab.

"Kiba. Shepherd. Your leader is Husky." Kiba caught his silver-colored dog in the air and grinned. By now, the leaf ninja were either contemplating why they received the code name they received, or were wondering what their code name would be.

"Lee, you are Squirrel. Your group leader is called Squirrel, too." Lee's piece was silver, in the shape of a squirrel mid-jump. His goofy smile told Naruto that it had been a good choice. Happily, Lee ran over to show Gai his piece.

"Neji, Falcon. Your leader is Eagle." Neji's piece was black, in the shape of a soaring bird.

"Sakura, Kitten." Ino giggled as Sakura turned pink with anger. The pink-haired girl was insulted by the wimpy-sounding name. "Your leader is Rex." Sakura caught her black kitten and stuck her tongue out at Naruto angrily.

"Sasuke, Grey Wolf." Sasuke caught the silver piece with ease, but seemed very withdrawn. "Your leader is Fennec." Sasuke looked over at the familiar girl. Fennec, lounging against the wall, gave the Uchiha a vicious smile that seemed to mean, "I'm going to eat you alive, sissy-boy." Taken back, he quickly returned to the group.

"Sparrow," Naruto turned to his friend. "Take them to see their squad leaders, please. Help them settle in if you can. And get them a change of clothes." The three girls ushered the unsettled ninja out of the chamber, but left Hinata standing awkwardly in the center of the room.

"Um, Na…Naruto-kun," she spoke up quietly. "I was not placed."

"Nonsense, Hinata-chan!" Naruto laughed, pulling the final piece from the box and walking over to the shy girl.

"You're Vixen," he handed her the piece, identical to his own, only silver instead of gold. "And _I'm_ your squad leader."

Hinata, face bright red, fainted.

Blinking in surprise, Naruto turned around. "Sensei, what did I say?"

*~~*

Once Hinata had regained consciousness, Naruto waved goodbye to Tigerdragon and led the shy girl out of the chamber and down several halls. At last, the two reached the front door of the house, where they encountered Sparrow, Oriole, Fennec, and the leaf-nin.

"What's going on?" Naruto demanded, walking outside and confronting the bickering ninja.

"They don't want to go," Oriole explained wearily. The black-haired girl gestured at the chaos the leaf and Guild ninja were making.

Sparrow was desperately trying to make peace with them, alternately begging the jounin-sensei for assistance and screaming at the leaf kunoichi to shut up.

Fennec had Sasuke pinned to the ground and was laughing depravedly as he tried to wriggle free.

Shino, Shikamaru, Neji, and Chouji seemed to be ignoring the situation, and Lee and Kiba were watching Sasuke with concern, wondering if they should interfere.

From behind him, Naruto heard Hinata gasp.

Shaking his head, Naruto approached the conflict cautiously. First he approached Sparrow, telling her that he would handle the situation. The frazzled girl looked relieved, and walked over to join Oriole in relative safety. As Sparrow collapsed with relief on the ground, Naruto attempted to get his friends' attention.

"Hey, look, I'll get you set up, okay?" he tried to calm them down.

"No! It's not okay, Naruto!" Sakura yelled. "Why didn't you tell us about this?!" The others nodded in agreement, except Sasuke, whose face was still pinned in the dirt.

Naruto frowned. "I didn't feel like it. And it was a long time ago; it didn't matter in the leaf," he explained.

"Why didn't you tell us once we arrived?" Kakashi queried.

Naruto pursed his lips as he looked into his sensei's eyes. "I didn't feel like it," he repeated. He scanned the leaf-nin's eyes, daring them to push the issue. Only Kakashi and Sakura seemed to be unsatisfied with his answer. Suddenly, he caught sight of Fennec, who was cackling wildly and sitting on top of Sasuke's back.

"Fennec, let him breathe," Naruto demanded. Fennec looked up in surprise before jumping off the Uchiha's back and walking over to Oriole and Sparrow.

Sasuke jumped up immediately, fire and sharingan in his eyes, and turned his gaze on Naruto rather than Fennec.

"What the Hell is going on, Naruto?" he stalked over to his teammate and grabbed him by the collar. The Guild kunoichi started to rise, but Naruto waved them off.

"What are you talking about, teme?" Naruto taunted.

"Why didn't you tell us you were second?" he shook the blonde once, hard.

"Because I didn't want you to know," he pushed Sasuke, knocking himself loose from the Uchiha's grip. The leaf ninja were watching the clash intently and cautiously. They all knew how explosive the two could be when around each other and didn't want to risk injury.

"Why not? Why does it matter?" he pushed Naruto back.

"Because I don't want any special treatment!" Naruto shouted, pushing Sasuke down. "I don't want to earn respect that way! I want to earn it because I deserve it!" Naruto unclasped his earring and held it out for Sasuke to see.

"You see this? This means that they respect me here. And I earned it! I don't want you to fall all over me because I've been here before; I want you to respect me because I'm a good ninja!" He put the earring back and turned to the Guild kunoichi.

"I'll take them," he said quietly, but powerfully. "Go get some uniforms: all sizes, all accessories, all shades. Meet me at my place." The three girls nodded and disappeared.

"Let's go," Naruto commanded harshly, turning and walking away. Startled by their friend's behavior, the leaf ninja followed him, whispering quietly among themselves.

*~~*

Mk, I know this chapter is really long, and most of it is pretty useless on its own. However, there will be a recurring theme in the story. If a character is in the presence of another character, they will use codenames. If it is thought, or me narrating the story, then I will use their real names.


	8. Chapter 8

*~~*

Naruto was arguing internally as he led the leaf-nin down a nearly deserted road. He knew he had been harsh with them, but he was angry with them all the same. They were new to the Quadgram, and he had surprised them with his status here, but he thought they were taking it too roughly. Didn't they think he was good enough to achieve that kind of status?

Unable to think of an appropriate apology, he led them in silence until they reached an enormous blue mansion, almost a quarter of the size of Tigerdragon's mansion. Turning, he led them up the steps to the large, white door. He grinned as he heard them gasp behind him.

Reaching into his pocket, he fished out a set of keys and opened the door. The door opened into a large, comfortable living room. Couches lined the walls, and cushions lined the floor. Everything in the room was blue, in various shades, except for the walls and carpet, which were white.

Naruto gestured for everyone to take a seat and then headed up the staircase on the left corner of the room. At the top of the staircase, he could hear his friends whisper.

"Do you think we made him mad?" Kiba asked.

"I do not know. He seemed angry, though," Lee answered.

"Yeah, he's mad. He'll get over it, though. He'll be back to a happy idiot by tomorrow," Sasuke answered confidently.

"What's he got to be mad about? He lied to _us_!" Sakura fumed.

"He's angry because we don't take him seriously. He thinks we consider him a bad ninja; that he doesn't deserve his position here," Sasuke answered.

There was a tense silence after that, and Naruto left the stairs and headed down the hall to his old room.

As he opened the door to his room, he realized that he felt much better. Now they all knew why he was upset, and they'd stop treating him like an amateur. And if they didn't stop, he'd just have to teach them a lesson, like he had Kiba, Neji, and Sasuke once before.

Inside his room, Naruto started to rummage around inside his closet. Finding what he was looking for, he cheered and headed back downstairs, locking his door behind him.

As he descended the staircase, Naruto realized that the tense silence was still in place.

"Hey, guys!" he cheered, jumping down the last five stairs excitedly.

The leaf ninja jumped, surprised by Naruto's suddenly changed demeanor.

"Here you go!" he tossed several scrolls to some of his friends. The four kunoichi, Chouji, Shino, Shikamaru, Neji, and Kurenai each received one.

"Uh, what?" Ino pulled her scroll open with confusion.

"What are these, Naruto?" Kakashi asked as he leaned across Neji and looked at his.

"Scrolls, sensei," Naruto chirped.

"Obviously. What are they for?" he asked dryly.

"So you guys can train in taijutsu in your spare time," Naruto gave a giant fox-smile.

"Gentle-fist _is_ taijutsu," Neji informed the blonde, throwing the scroll at his head. Naruto caught the scroll with ease and threw it back, hitting Neji smack in the center of his forehead.

"But it involves sending chakra outside your body, and you can't do that here," Naruto replied as the Hyuuga rubbed his forehead, pained look on his face.

"So why didn't I get a scroll?" Kakashi asked curiously.

"Because you know some taijutsu, and they don't."

At that point, the familiar Guild kunoichi walked in the front door.

"Sorry it took so long," Oriole apologized, setting down four large, heavy-looking bags, "we couldn't carry this all by ourselves." She gestured at four other familiar Guild ninja who also entered carrying bags.

"Boar, Bat, Wolf, Squirrel!" Naruto grinned, walking around his friends seated on the floor to greet the Guild-nin.

Shikamaru and Lee, recognizing their leader's names, turned, wondering which ninja was which.

The seven Guild ninja entered, placing their bags by the door, and sat on the stairs. Naruto bent down and began rummaging through the bags.

"Ne, Sasuke-teme, what size are you?" Naruto called from his place by the door.

"A fourteen," he answered hesitantly. Instantly, Sakura, Ino, and TenTen began staring lustfully.

Suddenly, a pair of pants smacked him in the face. He pulled the garment down and examined it. It was similar to the pair he was wearing, only it was much baggier, and blue.

Sasuke stared at Naruto curiously, and caught the shirt that flew his way. It was high-collared like the shirts he wore when he was younger, and was the same dark blue as his pants.

"You like it?" Naruto looked up from the numerous bags. Sasuke grunted, and Naruto took it for a "yes."

Deciding that the current system was taking too long, Naruto lifted several of the bags and walked into the center of the room, where he dumped their contents onto the floor.

"Pick something out," he declared as he went to retrieve the remaining bags. Slowly, the ninja approached the pile of clothes in the center of the floor and began examining each article carefully. The kunoichi were especially excited about choosing new outfits.

After several minutes of frenzy, each ninja had several sets of clothing in various shades of blue. Relieved, Naruto scooped the remaining clothes into the bags and placed them back beside the door.

"Now," he announced, taking their attention off the clothes, "we need to decide where you guys will stay."

Everyone looked baffled.

"I thought we were staying at the mansion?" TenTen asked.

"Nope!" Naruto chimed. Everyone sweatdropped.

"Where will we be staying, then, Naruto-san?" Lee asked curiously.

Naruto pursed his lips, "Hmm…"

"You don't know?!" Sakura looked outraged and concerned.

"Of course I know!" Naruto retorted fervently. "You'll probably stay with your squad leaders."

"Probably?" Kiba muttered. Akamaru, who had somehow fit through the door, barked in agreement.

"Well, it depends," Naruto said, joining his old friends on the stairway.

"I don't think the sensei want to room with people younger than them," he turned to the four sensei, who were seated together on a couch. "Do you?"

Kurenai and Asuma gave embarrassed grimaces, and Kakashi and Gai remained silent.

"I didn't think so." He turned to Oriole. "Are there any free squad houses?"

"Two," she told him.

"Then you guys can stay together in a squad house. There should be plenty of room. Will you take them there, Oriole?" The black-haired girl nodded and gestured for the sensei to follow her outside.

"And the rest of us?" Sakura demanded.

"Hold on a minute, Sakura-chan, I'm thinking," he told her. He turned to Squirrel.

"Is there room in your squad house?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, there is one extra room," she answered him politely.

"Then Lee's staying with _his_ squad leader," Naruto told the group. Lee stared at the girl intently.

"What is his name?" Squirrel tugged on Naruto's sleeve gently.

"Squirrel." Naruto snickered at the girl's surprised look.

"Well, I suppose we will figure a way around the name confusion. Somehow," she glared at the blonde and rose.

She turned at the doorway and gestured for Lee to follow.

"Go on, Lee, she doesn't bite," Naruto snickered. Perplexed, Lee grabbed his new clothes and followed the brunette out the door.

"Now, let's see," he looked back at the five remaining Guild ninja. "Boar, is there free space at your squad house?"

"Three rooms," Boar replied.

"Hm. Then Shikamaru should go, because he's in your squad. Who else?" he glanced around the room at the remaining ninja. "And Ino and Sakura should go."

"What?! Why do I have to go with Ino-pig? I want to stay with _my_ squad!" Sakura railed.

"You want to stay with people as old as our sensei?" Naruto smirked as Sakura turned pink in embarrassment.

"I didn't think so. Stay with Boar's squad." Again, the squad leader asked for names before Naruto gestured for Ino, Shikamaru, and Sakura to follow the tall, sandy-haired ninja out the door.

"Fennec?" Naruto turned to the mischievous kunoichi.

"One room," she grinned sadistically at Uchiha. Naruto sighed and gestured for his friend to follow the smirking girl. Sasuke arched his eyebrow at Naruto as he walked out the door.

"What am I in for?" he asked the blonde seriously.

"Well, she hates you," Naruto said soberly, "so…utter Hell."

Sasuke stared at the girl with caution as she led him out the door.

"Wolf?" Naruto looked over at the tall, silent ninja. "Will you make sure she doesn't kill him?" Wolf nodded and followed the two.

"What about us?" Kiba waved his hand in the air wildly. TenTen, Neji, Chouji, Shino, and Hinata nodded.

"We still have that extra squad house, but it's small…so let's see," Naruto thought seriously. "Chouji and Shino, because you're on the same team…and TenTen and Kiba because you're on teams that live nearby Wasp's team."

TenTen looked mortified about sharing a house with _guys_. The others looked similarly uncomfortable about sharing a house with people they didn't spend much time with.

"Bat, will you take them?" Bat nodded and escorted them away.

"Sparrow?" he looked at the final Guild ninja.

"One: your old room," she said seriously. Naruto frowned.

"Well, who should get it?" Naruto gestured to Neji and Hinata.

"Whose teams are they on?" she looked at the two approvingly. She liked their silence much better than Sakura's loud mouth.

"Neji's on Eagle's team," Naruto pointed at the Hyuuga male.

Sparrow whistled. "You're setting him up for a lot, don'tcha think? Eagle's tough." Neji frowned.

"He can take it," he looked over at the jounin. "Can't you?"

"Of course I can," Neji snorted angrily.

"Good," Naruto nodded. "And Hinata," he pointed at the Hyuuga girl, "is on my team."

Sparrow whistled again, this time much louder. "Never mind _him_, you've really got some goals for _her_, don'tcha?"

Hinata blushed, but Neji looked confused. "What do you mean?" he asked curiously.

"Fox's the strongest person here. If she's on his team, she must have a lot of potential." Sparrow gave the girl a broad grin. Hinata fainted.

Sighing, Naruto again raised his question. "Who do you want?"

"I'd better take Neji. I know how Eagle operates, and Eagle's squad lives close by. Besides, if she's gonna be on your team, she should live with your squad, right?" Sparrow reasoned.

"Yeah, I guess. Go ahead and take him to my old room." Neji followed Sparrow outside, and Naruto walked over to wake Hinata.

"Hinata-chan," he tapped her gently. Startled, the girl snapped awake, bumping heads with Naruto.

While Naruto hissed in pain, Hinata fainted of embarrassment.

Confused and worn out, Naruto lifted the unconscious girl and carried her upstairs to an empty bedroom. As he set her into the empty bed, he realized that he'd taken on more responsibility than he'd bargained for; Hinata was going to be a handful to train if she fainted all the time.

Tired, Naruto went back downstairs, shut and locked his door, placed the sacks of clothes out of the way, and returned upstairs to his room.

As he fell asleep on his bed, Naruto realized that he would have to begin their training tomorrow if Guild were keep Destruction in its place.

A/N

Naruto has a lot of moodswings in this fic. Mostly because there's always so much going on, that he's never quite sure how to feel about it all at once. But I do try to make his reactions as true to character as possible.


	9. Chapter 9

*~~*

Naruto woke bright and early the next morning and dressed quickly. As he walked down the hallway, it suddenly occurred to him to check on his new houseguest. Silently he approached Hinata's room, but when he opened the door, he found her room empty.

"Hinata-chan?" he called worriedly. It wasn't safe for her to be wandering around Quadgram alone.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata called from a room to his left. Turning around, Naruto saw Hinata exiting from the bathroom, her hair still dripping as she toweled it dry.

"Oh, there you are, Hinata-chan!" he grinned widely, and she blushed. Both ninja were decked out in new, blue clothes, but where Naruto's outfit was baggy, Hinata's new clothes hugged her frame tightly.

"Let's go get some breakfast!" Naruto cheered, oblivious to Hinata's embarrassment, and ran down the stairs.

Nodding, Hinata walked into the other room, retrieved her shoes and weapons, and met the hyperactive ninja downstairs in the living room.

"What do you want for breakfast?" he asked her as he pulled his sandals on.

"Um, eggs?" she twiddled her fingers shyly.

"Can do!" he grinned, jumping off the couch and opening the door.

"Ne, Hinata-chan," he said seriously as she walked past him. She turned and waited. "From now on, you have to call me Fox, and I have to call you Vixen, okay?" Naruto waited for her answer.

The Hyuuga nodded, blushing horribly.

"Alright!" Naruto cheered, shutting the door behind them as he led her down the street.

A few minutes later, the two were seated at a fancy, outside restaurant in the square, their breakfast before them.

"I wonder where the others are," Naruto looked around as he ate his food.

Hinata looked up from her plate and looked around, hoping to aid Naruto in his search. Suddenly, she pointed, and Naruto spun around.

"Sparrow! Oriole! Falcon! Shepherd!" Naruto waved the four over.

Neji took the new name in stride, but Kiba seemed slightly irked.

"What's Shepherd doing here?" Naruto asked Sparrow as the four sat down and ordered.

"We're waiting on Retriever and Husky. They were supposed to come by to pick him up, but when we walked by the squad house, he and Akamaru were sitting on the front porch," Sparrow told him, glancing at Kiba with a sad look.

Naruto frowned. "I'm being mutinied by my men already," he sighed dramatically. Sparrow and Oriole grinned.

"I'm sure no one's mutinying," Oriole said confidently. "They're just running behind."

"Husky doesn't run behind," Sparrow reminded her teammate.

"Ne, but Retriever does," Naruto informed them, "by hours at a time."

"Seriously?" the girls chorused. Naruto nodded, and they winced in sympathy.

"Hey, guys!" a cheerful voice called out, and the ninja in the restaurant turned to see who it was.

Fennec was skipping over towards them, a dazzling, cheerful smile on her face.

"Guess she's had her coffee," Oriole mumbled. Sparrow and Naruto nodded gravely.

As the crowd dissipated slightly, they could see Wolf following dutifully behind her, and Sasuke trudging behind Wolf, bruises covering his pale skin.

Fennec and Wolf slid into seats at Naruto's table, but Sasuke melted into his seat, agony etched onto his face.

"Kami, Fennec, you killed him!" Naruto poked the motionless Uchiha. A pitiful moan rose from the bruised boy, and Naruto turned to stare at Fennec in shock.

"What the Hell did you do to him?" Naruto blinked in surprise.

"Training," Fennec replied, snatching a menu from a passing waitress and ordering coffee.

"What does that mean?" the blonde asked loudly, still very shocked.

"I put him through his paces. Running laps, lifting weights, the usual," she ordered her breakfast from the waitress as she returned with Fennec's coffee.

"What else?" he pressed.

"She asked him to bring her the cookies," Wolf broke in, "and he said no."

"You lost your temper?" Naruto asked the girl seriously.

"Yes," she replied sheepishly, staring into her coffee guiltily.

Naruto sighed and shook his head. "Please don't kill him. I know he's annoying, but he's my friend."

"But he's not dead!" she retorted. "Watch!" she reached across the table and poked him with a fork.

"Gahh!" Sasuke grabbed his arm and fell out of the chair, landing roughly on his face.

"See?" Fennec put the fork back down.

"Fennec!" Sparrow chided, "don't torture the guy! If I can't harass the kunoichi, then you can't harass _him_." Naruto shook his head sadly.

"Okay," the mischievous girl sighed, "I'll stop." Disappointed, she rose and put Sasuke back into his chair.

As the group calmed down, Naruto asked, "Did you resolve the name issue? You have two Wolf's on your team now."

"Yep," Fennec smiled. "I call this one," she pointed at the injured Uchiha, "loser-sama, and I call this one," she pointed at Wolf, who watched her with curiosity, "Wolfie."

Naruto sighed again and looked at Oriole. "How are things going at the squad house? Are things with Falcon working out?" Neji twitched when he heard Naruto talk about him.

"They're good," Oriole grinned. "He's no trouble at all."

"That reminds me," Neji spoke up coldly. "I forgot to thank you for letting me use your room."

"Um, you're welcome," Naruto replied uneasily. Hinata, spotting trouble, tugged on Neji's sleeve in an attempt to stop her cousin, but it was far too late.

"After all, we all didn't get to live in rooms that haven't seen daylight in eight years. We don't all get to live in spider paradise, with dust and mold and decay." Neji's eyes were hard, and he was frowning angrily.

Naruto grinned sheepishly, before turning on Sparrow. "You didn't clean the room?"

"We made him do it," she replied casually as she dug into her breakfast.

"Poor Falcon-kun," Oriole shook her head, patting Neji on the back. "It took him six hours to clean it all."

"Do you know what it's like to be able to see every speck of dirt at once?" Neji ground out angrily.

"I think you gave him OCD," Sparrow informed Naruto, "he woke up looking for more filth, expecting it around every corner."

"I had nightmares," Neji said furiously, "about mold and dust."

Naruto laughed nervously as Neji glared. "Well, look at the time, we really need to go," he grabbed Hinata' hand and dragged her away, smacking straight into Kakashi.

"Where have you been?" Naruto pointed at Kakashi and Husky accusingly, "Shepherd's been waiting for you!"

"Retriever was late," Husky poked the jounin roughly in the back. Husky, it appeared, had gotten Kakashi's attention. The man was bulky, like Tigerdragon, but was only slightly shorter than Kakashi.

"Heh, sorry. I got lost on the path of life," Kakashi rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Right, sure." Naruto didn't believe his sensei for one moment. "Well, you go ahead and take Shepherd. Vixen and I are gonna go train behind sensei's house." He turned to the others at the table and tossed down some money to pay for their meal. "Meet us there later, guys!"

Naruto darted off, a blushing Hinata right behind him.

Sparrow and Oriole shook their heads. "She's got it bad for him, doesn't she?" Sparrow turned to Neji. "How long has she liked him?"

"Years," Neji replied, still miffed at Naruto and Sparrow, but willing to cooperate with his landlord. If he didn't, he might never be allowed time in the bathroom to brush his hair again!

"Who has it bad for who?" Fennec looked confused. Wolf, Sparrow, and Oriole shook their heads.

"Don't worry about it, Fennec," Wolf patted the girl on the head, "you'll give yourself a headache." The girl took his words at face value and went back to her breakfast. Husky and Kakashi joined the group, sitting down next to Kiba, across from the girls and Neji.

"What happened to Wolf?" Kakashi was careful to use his student's code name.

Fennec looked up sheepishly. "I sorta broke him." Kakashi gaped.

"That's amazing. I didn't think anyone could do this to him," Kakashi stared at Fennec in wonder. Oriole and Sparrow started to giggle at the goofy face Kakashi was making, until Fennec turned pink. Suddenly, all of their attention was on their friend.

"Earth to Fennec," Oriole poked the girl sharply in the ribs.

"Huh? What?" she looked disoriented and confused.

"No way," Oriole whispered in amazement.

"We gotta go," Sparrow stood up, dragging Fennec with her. "Wolf!" she called behind her as she and Oriole started walking away, Fennec in tow, "pay for our meal and watch the newbies!"

Wolf nodded, though he was annoyed to be left with the four newbies and Husky.

"What was that about?" Kiba asked in confusion as he finished his food.

"I think it's a girl thing," Wolf sighed. The lump that was Sasuke gurgled in agreement.

Everyone looked over in surprise, wondering how the Uchiha was conscious. Suddenly, the lump made a noise.

"What did it- I mean- he, say?" Husky looked at Sasuke curiously.

"I think," Wolf frowned in concentration, "he said, 'is she gone yet?'."

Kiba started laughing uproariously, and even Neji smirked.

"That Fennec chick is sure a handful," Kiba commented as he waited for Husky and Kakashi to finish their meal.

"You have no idea," Wolf replied with a sigh.

"They're all very rowdy," Neji observed. "Though Oriole seems more composed than they are."

"Sparrow's not so bad," Kiba rebuked the Hyuuga. Neji frowned in disagreement.

"She made me clean that room," Neji pointed out.

"So she's clever; I would've made you clean it, too!" Kiba replied.

"Fennec's the most amazing, I think," Kakashi suddenly joined in the conversation. "She took Wolf out in one night," he pointed at the abused Uchiha.

"You realize you're arguing about which girl is the greatest?" Wolf asked them calmly. Suddenly Kiba and Neji turned pink and began shrieking in denial. Kakashi pretended he hadn't heard.

Husky laughed riotously as he dropped the payment for their food on the table. "Let's go. We have training to do. Maybe if you hurry, you'll have time to go visit your beloveds before nightfall."

*~~*

Hinata flopped down gracefully onto the grass in Tigerdragon's training area. She and Naruto had worked ceaselessly on the taijutsu in her scroll since they had arrived early that morning, stopping only to eat. Now it was early evening, and no one else had shown up to train with them.

Hinata had to admit to herself that after hanging around with him for so long, she didn't feel quite as shy as she normally did.

"Okay, Vixen, let's call it quits for the day," Naruto called cheerfully. Hinata blushed again; she doubted that she'd ever get used to that code name, though.

The two picked up their weapons and Naruto led her back to his house, skipping energetically. Quietly, Hinata wondered at his stamina. He was barely tired, and she was completely worn out.

"Ne, Vixen, what do you want for dinner?" Naruto called behind him. Hinata tensed slightly. He had made her decide everything for them today, and it wasn't something she was used to.

Considerately, she replied, "Ramen." Naruto whooped loudly, turned around, grabbed Hinata's hands, and spun in circles with her. Hinata turned bright red.

"Woot! Ramen!" he called out cheerfully, finally releasing Hinata before skipping ahead again. "Hurry up, Vixen, let's go!"

*~~*


	10. Chapter 10

*~~*

The next day, Naruto left his home with a new goal in mind.

He knew that Destruction would attack eventually, and that Guild would have to be ready for them. At the same time, he had a duty to protect his fellow leaf-nin from the impending doom they would face if they didn't improve in time.

He knew Hinata was doing well, since he was supervising her training, but the others' training was a mystery.

"Ne, Vixen," he called behind him as they walked down the street to Tigerdragon's mansion.

"Yes?" she called back shyly. She still was unsure what Naruto thought of her, and she was worried about her training. She didn't think she was doing well at all.

"I'm going to get my squad together today. Is it okay if I leave you with them so I can check on everybody else?" he looked back at her in concern.

"Oh, of course!" she answered in embarrassment. "Please don't worry about me."

"Great!" Naruto cheered. "Now I can get the others as good as you!"

"I'm not that good," she blushed.

"Nonsense! You did really well yesterday! And besides, you can still use your Byakugan, so you have an advantage!" He smiled brightly at the embarrassed girl.

"But…I thought we couldn't use chakra?" the poor girl looked confused.

"Well, when you use Byakugan, your chakra isn't used to do something outside your body. The machine only blocks chakra used to do something outside your body. So you can't use gentle-fist, but you can use the Byakugan."

"Oh," she smiled gently.

"Yep, you're gonna be our secret weapon," Naruto smiled. Hinata turned red.

"Now, let's get to sensei's!" Naruto whooped, grabbing Hinata's hand and pulling her down the street.

*~~*

Naruto was very surprised when they arrived at Tigerdragon's.

Fennec was standing out back with Sasuke, and the two were arguing and motioning toward a large boulder.

"Um, Fennec, I hate to ask, but," Naruto gestured at the boulder.

"She wants me to lift the boulder." Sasuke looked extremely unhappy, though his bruises looked better.

"Fennec," Naruto sighed, "start with something smaller. He doesn't need that much muscle in Konoha. He's more of a speed-based ninja."

"Then why do I have him?" Fennec pouted. "You should have given him to Sparrow. That's her specialty. You know I'm strength."

"Because he already has speed. I need him physically stronger." Naruto smiled at the Uchiha. "And he needs to be stronger. No boulders." He gave the girl a serious look.

"And while I'm here," he motioned Hinata over, "please train Vixen for me. You're on my squad, so you know my style. She has one of my old scrolls; have her work on the techniques. I'm gonna go check on the others. I need their training to go smoothly."

Fennec nodded in understanding, and Naruto turned to leave. As he rounded the house, he heard a large cracking noise.

"No trees, either!" he called loudly behind him.

"Damn it!" he heard Fennec yell. A booming noise could be heard as she let the tree drop.

Naruto sighed, heading to Sparrow's.

*~~*

"Hellooo?" Naruto called as he opened the front door of his old squad house.

"In here!" he heard Sparrow call from the kitchen. Shutting the door behind him, he walked into the kitchen. Sitting at the large table were Sparrow, Oriole, Neji, and Kurenai.

"Where's the rest of your team?" Naruto asked Sparrow as he sat down.

"Reconnaissance," Sparrow sighed. "Need them to spy while we train the newbies. No telling when Destruction will attack."

"True," Naruto agreed. "So how's training going?" He looked at Neji and Kurenai pointedly.

"Cardinal's doing well," Sparrow informed. "She's already very quick and stealthy. I don't think she can do much more than practice daily, and learn that taijutsu from your scroll." Kurenai smiled.

"And Falcon?" Naruto looked at Neji.

"Eagle is…very different from Gai-sensei," Neji answered, a frown on his face.

"He's picky, you mean," Naruto snickered. "He's a perfectionist. He's gonna be rough on you, especially since you don't know any chakra-less taijutsu. That's one of his specialties."

"I noticed," Neji frowned.

"That's why I put you there," Naruto said seriously. "I think you could be really good if you listen to him. And while I'm here, I need to tell you that you can use your Byakugan. This morning I realized I forgot to tell you."

When Neji gave him a confused look, Naruto explained everything the same way he had for Hinata.

"Well," Naruto turned to Kurenai, "since you've already been approved, I want you to go back to the mansion and train with Vixen and Fennec. Falcon, I want you to stay and train with Eagle some more. I'll go talk with him later." Naruto rose, telling Sparrow and Oriole to take Kurenai back to Tigerdragon's, and left.

After leaving, Naruto turned to find Husky's team. On his way, he walked past Squirrel and Lee.

"Squirrel!" he called out, waving two over.

"Did you resolve the name issue?" Naruto snickered at the flustered girl.

"Yes, actually. I am going to have them call me captain," the brunette answered, pointing at herself, "and he will be Squirrel."

Naruto nodded. "Okay, I guess. How's he doing?"

"Squirrel, will you go see what is taking the others so long?" she gestured behind them, where the rest of her team was lagging behind. Lee nodded emphatically and ran over to them.

Once Lee was gone, Squirrel turned back to Naruto. "Between you and me, he is amazing. He is like one of us!" she whispered excitedly, blush covering her cheeks. "His talents seem as though they have been wasted in Konoha. You can leave him with my team as long as you like."

Naruto laughed. "I knew he'd do well here. I'll leave him with you, then. See you later," he waved her off as he continued to Husky's.

Once he reached the Husky's squad house, Naruto knocked heavily. Husky answered the door and opened it wide.

"Sir," he greeted Naruto politely, gesturing for the blonde to come in. Naruto laughed and waved off the title.

"Just Fox, you know that," he said with a grin. "Where are the others?"

"One moment," Husky held up a finger and walked into another room. Suddenly Kakashi and Kiba ran in as though they had fire on their heels. Husky came in behind them more sedately, a wicked grin on his face

"How are they doing?" Naruto asked the Guild-nin while ignoring the nefarious smirk.

"Retriever's decent at speed, strength, and stealth. However, I think he could be much better. Shepherd's excellent at taijutsu with his dog, and he's got potential to be very fast. However, I don't have any expectations regarding stealth. He just can't manage it." As Husky gave his report, Kakashi and Kiba frowned at their leader.

"What do you think I should do with them?" Naruto asked seriously.

"I think if you give them missions, it would be fine to leave them in my group. But if you mean training, I can continue teaching them. However, I think they could both use some lessons from Sparrow and Fennec. And Retriever could improve his stealth with some lessons from you." Kakashi jerked in indignation that _Naruto_ could teach _him_ about stealth.

"Right. Then can you take them both to sensei's? Sparrow and Fennec are already there, and they can help them. And if I get a chance, I'll get you a mission later today," Naruto thanked Husky for his opinion and set off to Boar's.

As he reached Boar's squad house, Naruto winced. He could hear Sakura and Ino screaming at each other from upstairs, and he could see Shikamaru dozing on the front porch.

As Naruto walked onto the porch, Boar walked out of the house, shaking his head and looking mortified.

"Bad?" Naruto asked sympathetically.

"Awful," Boar sighed, leaning against the front of the house.

"Are they progressing at all?" Naruto looked worried.

"Well, this lazy bum," Boar kicked Shikamaru, knocking him off the porch, "has great potential as a strategist, if nothing else. He's got stealth potential, too. But great strength or speed would be asking too much."

From the ground, Shikamaru frowned before pulling himself back onto the porch.

"I could do better," he muttered indignantly. "I just don't want to."

"We should keep him here, then," Naruto said. "Bat's great at strategy, too. They can help us a lot if they work together."

Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream echoed from the house.

Afraid to ask out loud, the blonde pointed upstairs.

"Those two?" Boar moaned and rubbed his face in exhaustion. "They never stop. It's always, Pig-this, Billboard-brow-that. Or they have an all-out brawl in the house. It's Hell."

A loud crash came from inside the house.

"Are they advancing any?" Naruto looked concerned.

"The blonde has extreme stealth potential. She sneaks up behind me all the time, and that's saying something. I'd have Oriole set her up with some wicked weaponry, and she should be pretty deadly. And the pink girl," Boar sighed, "she's nuts."

Another crash rang through the air, followed by a loud booming noise.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Naruto looked upwards, wishing he could see through the house.

"I'll kill you, Piggy!" Sakura shrieked from upstairs.

"She's got potential in everything. That's what Rex says, anyway. That she's kinda like you, but she just can't seem to focus. Every time we get near Fennec's team, she stares at that dark-haired guy. And if we're near Squirrel's team, she's hiding and screaming about caterpillars. And she can't seem to come to a truce with you-know-who," Boar gestured upstairs.

"I'll kill you, you damn cat!" Ino screamed. A crash followed her scream.

Naruto snickered lightly. "That's normal, I promise."

"That's not all, though," Boar said with a sigh. "She just can't seem to stop badmouthing people. You, for instance. I had to keep quite a few kunoichi from decking her. She probably could've taken it, but I didn't want to chance it. She needs to calm down and deal. I think if you talk her down, she'll do really well here."

Naruto frowned. "I'll try." Sighing, he walked upstairs.

As he reached the top of the steps, he had to dodge several kunai that were flying between two rooms on opposite ends of a hallway.

"Stop that!" he yelled, dropping as close to the floor as possible.

Both kunoichi popped out of their rooms, approaching Naruto with death in their eyes.

"Get me out of here!" they screamed simultaneously.

"Alright! That's enough!" Naruto roared, jumping up. "Kitten, go to your room. I have to talk to Pig!" Sakura started to yell insolently, but bit her lip and stomped back to her room, slamming the door.

Sighing, Naruto gestured for Ino to follow him back to her room. Inside the door, he sat down in a chair and shook his head.

"Okay, listen," he began, "Boar says you have potential. Tell him to take you to Oriole. She should be at sensei's. They're gonna work on your stealth, and get you a weapon. But," he gave her a warning look, "you have to start behaving here. No more fights with Kitten, okay? I'm gonna tell her the same thing. Just ignore her, if you have to."

Before the kunoichi could say anything, Naruto walked over to Sakura's room.

"Kitten?" he knocked before opening the door. Sakura was sitting on her bed, fuming.

"What's your problem?" Naruto asked the girl as he sat down in a chair.

"My problem? Oh, I don't know! I was only lied to, separated from my friends, forced to share a space with Piggy and strangers, and sent to my room like a kid! What is my problem, I wonder!" Sakura threw a pillow at her teammate, smacking him in the head.

"That's what this is about?" Naruto looked at her in surprise. "You're mad I lied?"

"Yes! Would it kill my teammates to tell me things! I can keep your secrets! I'm your teammate, and I can't even help you guys! You always leave me behind; just look at us now! You two are off with some of the best, and I'm sitting here like a little girl, getting schooled in the basics!" Sakura started crying. "Just get out!" she pointed at her door as she sobbed.

"Saku-" Naruto choked the name down as he rose automatically from his chair. "Listen, I didn't want anyone to know. It wasn't just you. I wasn't trying to keep you out. And listen, your leader Rex _is_ one of the best here. You're not being left behind. Once you get good enough, you'll be pulled off his team and brought onto mine." He sat down next to the pink-haired girl on her bed, giving her a hug.

"And if living here bothers you so much, you can come live with me and Vixen," he patted her gently on the back.

"Really? You're not leaving me behind again? Because I'm so tired of trying to catch you guys." She grinned and punched him in the arm.

"No. Now, do you want to come live with me?" he looked at her seriously.

"No, I can stick it here. I was just so worried that I was taking it out on Miss Piggy," she grinned. "I can deal. Really. Thank you."

He sighed. "Good. I have to go now, and check on everyone else," he turned to leave, and stopped. "Oh, and please stop screaming about caterpillars when you see Bushy-brows. Boar thinks you're mental."

Sakura snickered, and Naruto grinned. Finally, he was able to exit Boar's squad house, giving the sandy-haired Guild-nin a thumbs-up.

Still, Naruto felt worn out as he walked down the road. He still had five people to check on, he was exhausted, and it was almost noon.

Finally, Naruto approach Wasp's squad house, where Chouji and Shino should be training.

Naruto took and deep breath and knocked on the door.

Surprisingly, Shino answered the door, motioning for Naruto to come in.

"Where's Wasp?" he asked the taciturn ninja.

"He's outside, training Butterfly and Panda." Shino led Naruto out back.

"And Panda? She's supposed to be at Rhino's." Naruto exited the house to see TenTen and Chouji practicing taijutsu with Wasp. Shino shrugged slightly at Naruto's questioning look and joined the other leaf-nin in battle.

"What's going on?" Naruto yelled, attracting Wasp's attention. The older Guild-nin walked over, his grizzled face stubborn and annoyed.

"Rhino's been sick. His team hasn't come for the girl, so I'm training her to save time. Is there a problem with that?" the old man spit angrily and stared Naruto in the eye.

"Of course not, old man. Chill. I just came to see how everyone's doing, and I'm surprised she's here." He grinned placidly. The old man snorted and pursed his lips before grinning widely.

"I'm sure you are; you don't get surprised too often," Wasp cackled.

Naruto grinned in response. "So how are they doing?"

"Well, those two are really good," Wasp pointed at Shino and Chouji, "at taijutsu. But the girl's awful. She's trying, of course, but it's no use. She's really good at weapons, decent at speed and stealth. Might as well let me keep training her at taijutsu until you can get her to see Oriole and Sparrow. Rhino could help her with speed and stealth, but who knows when he'll get better. I'd like to keep training the boys, though. They've got some promise."

"Well, Sparrow and Oriole are taking students at sensei's right now, so just send Panda over there. Go ahead and keep training the others, though I want them to work with the girls at some point, too." Naruto said his goodbyes to Wasp and the three leaf-nin, and went in search of Gai and Asuma.

As he walked down an alleyway to Crocodile's house to see Gai, Naruto noticed Gai and Asuma sitting on a bench with several other, older ninja. All of them seemed to be busily eating lunch.

Stomach grumbling, Naruto walked over to a nearby food cart, ordered some ramen, and walked over to the older ninja.

"Hey, guys!" he chirped as he dug into his lunch.

"Sir," Crocodile and Kodiak nodded politely. The rest of their team bowed.

Gai and Asuma looked up with slight awe.

"Don't do that!" Naruto groaned. "You know that bothers me!"

"Sorry sir," Crocodile grinned. Kodiak echoed him.

Rolling his eyes, Naruto turned to each leader and asked, "How are they doing in training?"

"Well, I don't even know why you sent me the guy," Crocodile said exasperatedly. "He's the perfect recruit. Amazing speed, amazing strength. Could use some work on stealth, but otherwise, perfect." Gai beamed, giving Naruto the thumbs-up.

"I have the same complaint," Kodiak grinned. "You should have sent me a student to tear apart. An adult's so much harder to break. He's good in speed, good in strength, good in weapons, good in stealth. All-around good guy," he joked. Asuma grinned.

"Good," Naruto nodded. "I'll try to leave them with you guys for missions then. If you want them to work on anything, just send them to sensei's. I'm heading back there now, and the girls are already there." Smiling and exchanging goodbyes, Naruto headed back to Tigerdragon's mansion.


	11. Chapter 11

Warning: There is cross-dressing in this chapter. It is used as a disguise, and not as anything sexual. If it bothers you, don't read this chapter. It's in here for the lulz.

*~~*

When he arrived back at Tigerdragon's, Naruto wished he'd never left.

Fennec was taunting Sasuke into a fight while Kakashi idly watched from a boulder. Most of the other ninja were also watching the two, except for Hinata and Kurenai, who were dutifully working on their taijutsu.

"Hey!" Naruto yelled as he ran into the clearing. "You're supposed to be practicing!" Everyone sighed and went back to work.

"Fennec, what are you two fighting about now?" Naruto asked wearily.

"He doesn't like being called loser-sama," she said with a laugh.

Naruto sighed.

"Just go help the others. I'll work with teme." Fennec nodded and walked away.

Sasuke gave his teammate a smoldering look, pissed that his friend had to come to rescue.

"Told you she hates you," Naruto scolded.

Sasuke frowned. "Why?"

"Dunno. I'll ask her later, come on," Naruto slid into a fighting stance and waved for the Uchiha to attack.

A few minutes later, everyone was training in a comfortable silence. Suddenly, Tigerdragon walked into the training grounds with several scrolls in his hands.

"Fox!" he called out cheerfully. Naruto paused his fight with Sasuke and walked over to the older man.

"Sensei?" he looked expectantly at the scrolls.

"Missions," the leader grinned, handing the four scrolls to his second.

"Yes!" Naruto grinned widely, pumping his fist in the air in excitement. Tigerdragon laughed and walked back to the mansion.

Curious, the leaf and Guild ninja walked over to where Naruto was scanning the first of the four scrolls.

"Missions?" Oriole chirped with excitement.

Naruto nodded distractedly as he read the scroll, before sliding it under his arm and opening the second.

"Who're they for?" Sparrow asked ecstatically.

"You and Oriole…Husky…" Naruto slid the second scroll under his arm and opened the third.

"Me…" tucking the third away, he pulled the fourth open.

"And me again," Naruto gathered his mission scrolls in one hand, before throwing the first to Sparrow.

"Fennec?" he caught the girl's attention before throwing her the scroll. "Take that to Husky." The Guild kunoichi nodded and ran out of the training ground.

"What are we supposed to do?" Sakura asked. "Everyone's leaving."

Naruto looked up in surprise. It was true. Sparrow, Oriole, and Fennec were gone.

"Well, I need Retriever and Wolf for one of these missions. Everyone else can stay and practice some more. We'll be back later." Naruto gestured for Kakashi and Sasuke to follow him, and the others went back to training.

*~~*

Sparrow and Oriole crept quietly down an alleyway deep inside Force territory. Just for precautionary measures, each girl was wearing red, rather than the customary blue. If they were spotted, the red clothing would give each of them more time to escape or attack, depending on the situation.

"Did you bring the bombs?" Sparrow whispered to her teammate as they waited, crouched in the shadows of the alley, behind the thick, brick wall of the Force records building.

The dark-haired girl nodded, her hazel-green eyes glinting in the dim light. Gingerly, she removed two black, plastic, explosive devices from her kunai holster, in addition to two wads of sticky, gum-like glue. With exquisite precision, she placed the two bombs onto the side of the building, holding them in place with the wads of glue.

"This is silent, right?" Sparrow double-checked nervously.

"Unfortunately," Oriole replied, a manic gleam in her eyes.

Delicately, Oriole attached the disconnected wires on the two bombs and the two girls retreated deeper into the alley. Smiling widely, Oriole pulled a small detonator from her kunai holster and pointed it at the wall.

"Boom," she snickered, pressing the button.

As she promised, the explosion was silent, though the destruction was immediate and devastating. A small shockwave rippled through the wall, and the brick collapsed on itself, leaving an enormous gap.

Immediately, Oriole rushed over to the wall, kunai in hand, ready to defend Sparrow if anyone happened to notice the hole in the wall. Sparrow, aware that Oriole was backup, proceeded into the records room and began sorting through the files as quickly as she was able.

It was always a possibility that their information was wrong, and that the file wasn't here, but she had to check as thoroughly as she could.

Suddenly she discovered a large, heavy file at the bottom of deepest file cabinet. Opening it, she scanned it quickly before sliding it into the small backpack she had readied and ran out the hole in the wall.

"Let's go," she hissed, and the two kunoichi dashed down the alley, still undiscovered.

*~~*

"Let's go," Naruto gestured at his male teammates, who were accompanying him on his first mission. Currently, the two dark figures were sulking in the living room of his mansion as he finished packing what he needed for this particular mission.

"Naru-Fox," Sasuke began in irritation, "you still haven't told us what we're going to do."

"I know," Naruto grinned mischievously.

"I think you should tell us," Kakashi said seriously.

"I know," Naruto repeated, grin still etched on his face. Laughing at their sour expressions, Naruto led them out the door and down the street.

As the three entered the square, Naruto led them to a bench, where they all sat. Surprisingly, Naruto was staring intently at the crowd. Unable to understand, the two brooding jounin watched the crowd with interest.

"The issue," said Naruto, suddenly serious, "is that we need to know how many people each faction has. We need to know how many people they have to put forward in order to know how to fight Destruction. If they don't have enough, we'll have to use stealth. If they have a lot, we can use strength. It depends."

"So we're going to find out?" Kakashi asked, still staring at the crowd in puzzlement.

"Just for one. Honor," he clarified, when they looked at him in askance. "Sparrow and Oriole are finding out about Force. Technically, Blaze told me the other night, but he'll get in trouble if it gets out that he told. He's too good a friend for me to let that happen. Anyway, we're gonna go into Honor territory and steal some records."

The blonde rose, and Kakashi and Sasuke followed him down an alleyway.

*~~*

Sparrow and Oriole were racing down alleyways, breathing hard and grinding their teeth in frustration. Six Force ninja were behind them, and two of them were aiming to kill.

"Aaargh!" Sparrow screamed in anger, throwing several kunai behind her as she threw herself around a corner. A feminine scream echoed in her ears. The force of her throw slammed her into the alley wall, and she groaned as she picked herself up. Behind her, she could hear an explosion, and Oriole rounded the corner.

"Three down!" Oriole yelled as she ran by in a blur. Careful of her sore arm, Sparrow rose and raced after Oriole, catching her with little effort. Oriole grinned as they dashed down another alley, making a wide arc.

Suddenly, the two Guild-nin skidded to a stop. Before them stood the three remaining Force-nin, two of them with death in their eyes, and the third looking agitated.

Sparrow bit down a curse, and the two spun on their heels. Unluckily, two more Force ninja were behind them, and they froze mid-step.

*~~*

Naruto froze in the middle of an alley, Sasuke and Kakashi behind him. They had infiltrated Honor territory, but had not changed into green clothing.

"Today, boys and girls," Naruto began with a cheesy voice, "we will begin learning the art of stealth."

Sasuke and Kakashi stared.

"The key to the art of stealth," Naruto continued without interruption, "is to not be seen unless you wish to be seen. To achieve this, you must follow one basic principle: Ninja do not see what they are not looking for."

Sasuke and Kakashi stared.

"In most cases, this means to conceal yourself, so that they do not see you at all," Naruto cleared his throat, and continued in the cheesy voice. "In this case, it means to conceal yourself, so that you appear as something they would not expect."

Sasuke and Kakashi stared.

"So," he grinned, dropping the fake accent, "just let me get ready." The blonde snickered and removed a green uniform and a wig from his bag. Quickly he threw the uniform on over his own, and placed the long, black wig on his head. With one quick swipe, he brushed over his whisker marks with concealer, and he swapped earrings.

Sasuke and Kakashi stared.

"Dobe," Sasuke choked out, "you look like a girl."

"Exactly," Naruto replied, shaking his hair into a more natural position. "Like the girl in charge of prisoners, to be more precise. Ready?" He switched tone quickly, and threw kunai at his two teammates.

"The Hell?" Sasuke muttered, dodging the attacks and falling back into the street with Kakashi at his side.

"Guild!" Naruto yelled in a feminine voice with a thick northern accent. Quickly he scanned the area and found two Honor members running to his aid.

"Justice, who are they?" A tall, dark-skinned, brunette shinobi asked as he helped back the two leaf-nin into a corner.

"Dunno. Guild. Celerity, Resolution, can you help me round them up?" Naruto still had the thick accent, and he addressed the two quickly and attacked his teammates mercilessly. The two Konoha shinobi understood, and they let themselves be captured and bound.

"Do you need help taking them to the cells?" Celerity asked with concern, his dark skin beaded with sweat from the fight. Naruto shook his head and began dragging the two off. Celerity and Resolution nodded and went back to their business.

*~~*


	12. Chapter 12

*~~*

"Maybe it's none of my business," said a Force kunoichi with a vicious smile, "but you shouldn't be here."

"And maybe it's none of my business," called a voice from above, "but you're a bitch!" The seven ninja looked up, startled to see Fennec standing on the roof, ready to chuck two large cement blocks at the enemy ninja.

Without warning, the two blocks fell, and the enemy only barely managed to scatter.

"Miss me?" Fennec laughed. The two rescued kunoichi grinned in relief and joined their friend on the roof.

"Like the plague," Sparrow joked. Fennec pursed her lips and pushed her forward.

"All right, that's enough sassing the savior," Fennec teased in a rare moment of wordiness.

"So," Fennec turned to Oriole as they dashed back to Guild by roof, "did you get to blow anything up?"

Oriole snickered. "Oh, yeah."

*~~*

"Oh, yeah, you should write down some reports on those prisoners," a secretary reminded Naruto, who was still pretending to be Justice. Naruto nodded and accepted the forms from the secretary.

Currently, Sasuke and Kakashi were sitting in a ninja-proof cell in the back of the building, while Naruto was in the front lobby, cross-dressing and filling out paperwork.

As he finished the paperwork, Naruto headed into the back room.

"Oh, no, Justice-sama," the timid secretary jumped up nervously, "allow me to do that for you."

"Nonsense," Naruto smiled. "You have so much to do, and I'm not busy at all. Don't worry about it."

Embarrassed and awed, the shy secretary nodded and sat back down at her desk to fill out more paperwork as Naruto entered the back room where records were kept.

_Now, if I were important documents, where would I be?_

Taking his time, Naruto ambled around the room, poking through files while keeping an eye on the doorway. The door was closed, but if the real Justice came in, the game would be over, and his teammates would still be in jail.

At the far corner of the room, Naruto noticed a deep file system, and began looking through it. Sure enough, it was the ninja consensus, which listed all past and current members of Honor, as well as candidates for the next few years.

Removing the papers, Naruto slid them into his green shirt and into a concealed pocket. With a small fire bomb, he burned the paperwork on Sasuke and Kakashi in a small, metal trash bin and poured water from his canteen over it when he was sure that the paperwork had been destroyed.

Mission accomplished, Naruto exited the back room, waved bye to the secretary, and returned to the cells, where he had been only hours before to deposit his prisoners.

"Back already, Justice-sama?" a low-level Honor ninja asked quizzically. For him, sightings of his hero were rare, and suddenly she was appearing twice in one day.

"Honesty-sama wants to see them immediately," Naruto said icily, killing the ninja's suspicion immediately. Justice was the coldest person he had ever met, and Naruto had just reaffirmed his disguise.

Nodding, the ninja opened the cell, pulling out the exhausted and starving Sasuke and Kakashi for Naruto. Cautiously, the ninja handed Naruto the chains that bound the two ninja, and Naruto left, his teammates trailing him.

As the three entered the nearest alley, Naruto pulled the key from his pocket and released them, stashing the chains and key in a rubbish bin.

"Was that necessary?" Kakashi asked slightly sullenly.

"Did you get it?" Sasuke asked instead.

"Yes." Naruto replied vaguely, as he removed his disguise and returned it to his bag.

"To which?" Kakashi asked, unsure which question Naruto answered.

"Both."

The two leaf-nin nodded, and Naruto placed his bag back on his back.

"Let's go," he grinned, and they took off for the mansion.

*~~*

Back at the mansion, most of the Konoha-nin had given up for the day. Only Kurenai and Hinata were still hard at work; the leaf ninja had returned to their temporary homes. It was already early afternoon, and the others were still on their missions.

"So, Vixen-chan," Kurenai broached the subject cautiously, "what is it like living with Fox?"

Hinata turned dark red, but the two continued to spar diligently.

"It is…" the girl struggled for words. "It's interesting. He's very lively, and he worries a lot about our safety."

"But what's he like?" Kurenai pushed. She knew her student liked the blonde, but she also knew that the girl would fool herself into thinking she wasn't worthy of him.

"He's…" the girl faltered in her step, slid under Kurenai's kunai, and backflipped out of the way.

"Amazing?" Kurenai supplied as she spun to throw kunai.

"Yes," Hinata agreed breathlessly as she dodged the kunai and returned the attack. In the heat of the moment, Hinata could always be honest with herself and others. It was only when she thought that she had trouble speaking.

Not expecting such a swift attack, Kurenai attempted to dodge and failed. The kunai speared her shirt, pinning her to the tree behind her. Surprised, the jounin could only blink widely and stare at her student.

"Hina- erm," she cut herself off, shocked but still following the rules. "You've gotten much better. When did this happen?"

Hinata blushed and ran over to unpin her sensei. "We've been here five days," she whispered quietly as she yanked the kunai from the tree and Kurenai's clothes. "And Fox's been helping me train. He said I was doing much better. I didn't think I was."

"Well, you are," Kurenai assured the girl. Hinata blushed.

"Vixen-chan!" a cheerful voice cut across the training field. Hinata and Kurenai turned and saw Naruto waving, with Sasuke and Kakashi behind him. At that same moment, Fennec, Oriole, and Sparrow were returning from their own mission. The kunoichi entered from a different path, but only moments after Naruto.

Naruto ran over to his teammate, who was blushing wildly. "Where'd everybody go?" he asked.

"Home," Kurenai answered, stretching and walking away. "I'm about to go, too. It was a long day. I'll see you later, Vixen-chan." Kurenai waved bye to her student before heading back to the squad house with Kakashi.

As Naruto and Hinata stood quietly, watching their sensei leave, Sasuke and the Guild kunoichi approached.

"The files," Sparrow said, as she handed the papers to Naruto. "We nearly had trouble. Fennec showed up in time to help, though."

Naruto nodded distractedly and placed the papers in his bag with the others. "Good. Go ahead and go home for the day. I'll see if I can get you another mission soon."

The three nodded and began to walk away. However, Naruto caught Fennec's shoulder and held her back.

"You and Wolf are having problems," he said seriously, though still distractedly. "I want you to bring him to live at my house. I still want you to train him, but this way you're around each other a little less. Besides, I don't want to leave Vixen alone while I'm away on missions." He gestured gently to Sasuke and Hinata as Fennec made a face.

"Don't get me wrong," he told his old teammate, "you can still tease the Hell out of teme. I just need him to keep Vixen company and I need to let him have some rest. He was pretty high-strung on the mission, and I can't have that." Fennec nodded and dragged Sasuke back to her squad house, laughing about how he was a high-strung, pansy weakling.

Shaking his head, Naruto began leading Hinata back to his house.

"No offense, Vixen-chan," he said sheepishly. "I know you can take care of yourself, but my house is a target for other factions. I don't want you to be by yourself if something goes wrong."

"It's okay, Fox-kun," she whispered, ecstatic that he cared so much.

At peace with each other, the two arrived home, and awaited Sasuke's arrival.

*~~*


	13. Chapter 13

*~~*

It was past midnight when Naruto rose from his bed.

Sasuke had arrived hours before, and was situated in a room down the hallway. However, Naruto was not awake because he was worried about his houseguests.

Right now, he had a mission to complete.

The mission was the one left over from earlier that day, and he was surprised that everyone seemed to have forgotten about it.

As he rose, Naruto quietly packed several kunai and bombs, before sliding on his sandals and walking out his bedroom door. Silent as the grave, the blonde traipsed down the hallway, tiptoed down the stairs, and eased out the front door.

With speed and agility, Naruto made his way over to Destruction territory.

*~~*

Naruto fervently wished that Destruction would not renew the war that he had ended several years prior. More so, he wished he knew why they were renewing it, and who had decided to do so.

However, none of Naruto's wishes were going to come true unless he did something about them. That was how Naruto's wishes always worked.

Unlike during the previous missions that day, Naruto carried next to nothing. He had only a few kunai in his holster, and a few smoke and fire bombs next to his kunai. He wore his basic uniform, and no disguise. He wasn't even carrying a backpack this time.

Crouching in the shadows of an alleyway, Naruto pulled his bandana over his eyes and face, so that the triangle tip of the cloth pointed down toward his chin, and the folded layers at the top of the cloth covered his eyes entirely.

Calm, Naruto breathed deeply and focused his senses. It had been a long time since he had fought this way. He knew it was more efficient than the way he fought in Konoha, but he didn't want to show people his full potential just yet; they tended to get nervous and think it was purely demon influence.

Standing, Naruto raced along the dark alleys, deeply aware of any life forms from the smallest bug to the largest ninja. With great caution, he avoided the crowded alleys and streets as he ran towards his goal.

All the while, however, he felt as though he were flying. This was why he loved Quadgram; he loved his job here. Here, he didn't have to kill, and he didn't have to continually prove himself.

Here, he could be himself; here, he was allowed to be the best.

After all, wasn't he one of the few ever sent on night missions in Destruction?

Destruction was dangerous at any time of day, but they were more so at night, when their uniforms blended with the darkness and the alleyways.

But with the way Naruto ran and fought, Destruction's advantage disappeared.

And tonight, he was going to make a major strike on their army.

*~~*

When Sasuke woke the next morning, he could feel a small itch in back of his mind, as though he knew something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

In the hallway, he met a blushing, shy Hinata, who retreated back into her room when she saw the Uchiha.

After all, it wasn't her intention for Sasuke to see her in her _pajamas._

Not that Naruto didn't see her in them. It was just different; that's all.

But as Hinata retreated into her room to dress properly, Sasuke headed downstairs to the kitchen, where Naruto had assured him there would be non-Ramen food.

At the open archway to the kitchen, Sasuke froze.

Suddenly, he understood what the itch meant.

Naruto was sitting idly in the window, eating an apple.

His hair was much wilder than before, with a flaring, spiky quality that made it seem feral, and his eyes seemed more slitted than ever before. His whisker marks, which had always seemed thin and almost unnoticeable to Sasuke, were wide and deep.

Suddenly, everything about Naruto screamed danger and death and untamed and cryptic.

And Sasuke wasn't sure what to do.

*~~*

"You gonna stand there all day, or you gonna eat? We've got things to do," Naruto grinned at the bemused Uchiha.

Sasuke clenched his hands gently and swallowed. Every bite of his apple and every grin of his mouth revealed Naruto's sharp, white teeth, which seemed to have elongated slightly overnight. His nails, Sasuke noticed, had gotten slightly longer, too.

"Fox-kun, um, are we going to train today?" Hinata asked hopefully as she entered the kitchen, stepping around the frozen Uchiha and reaching for an apple from the fruit bowl at the center of the counter.

"Yep," Naruto grinned, again revealing his teeth. Sasuke blinked slowly, hoping the fierce vision before him would fade or disappear.

"Okay," Hinata nodded, smiling brightly at Naruto, despite his odd new appearance.

"Meet me at sensei's, okay guys?" Naruto told them as the tossed the apple core into the trash and leaned backwards out the window. "I'm gonna head to Sparrow's, and then I'll be right there."

Hinata nodded as she began to eat her own apple. As Naruto left, Sasuke felt the tension ease from his body.

"Hinata," Sasuke said forcefully, shaking the girl and forgetting the rules, "tell me you just saw that."

"Wha- what do you mean, Sa-Wolf-kun?" Hinata trembled as the apple fell from her fingertips. Too hard. Sasuke was shaking her too hard.

"Naruto!" Sasuke shook her for emphasis. "Did you see Naruto? It's the demon; it's got him, and it's gonna tear him apart!" Sasuke continued to shake her, until he felt a sharp pain on the side of his face. Stunned, he looked down at the flushing Hyuuga, her hand still raised in the air.

"Don't say that!" Hinata rasped quietly, caught between manners, her shy demeanor, and a sudden burst of anger. "And don't say his name," she added, her voice losing its hostility.

Suddenly, she was extremely embarrassed. She had just smacked _Sasuke Uchiha_, and now she was reminding him of the rules! And _why_ had she smacked the prodigy? Because he'd been rambling and his eyes had lost focus and he wouldn't stop shaking her!

_And because he insulted Naruto._

Quietly, Hinata lowered her hand and Sasuke released her and backed up. The carefully balanced, non-existent relationship between the two had just exploded, and neither was sure what to do.

Hinata wanted to cry, because suddenly she just felt so overwhelmed by the whole situation, and she couldn't imagine running to Naruto or Sakura or Kiba or Kurenai.

Sasuke was dazed from the slap. No one had ever slapped him before.

"Why doesn't it bother you?" Sasuke asked, his quiet voice sounded harsh and troubled. Hinata looked up, surprised by his voice, but the Uchiha was staring at the kitchen tile with an acidic glare. "Don't you know about it? About that damn fox?" Sasuke trailed off, unsure how to finish.

"I know," she whispered, looking away. Ashamed of the truth, she stared at the dislodged apple where it rested on the floor. "Neji-niisan told me, after he figured it out," Hinata's hand rose to her mouth, an action sparked by her memory, and she choked out the words.

"He came to tell me," she whispered, barely audible, "because he thought I should know. He said Na - Fox-kun had the demon in him. I didn't believe him." Hinata bit her lip to hold back the tears as she recalled the memory.

Neji had stormed into her room and shut it quickly behind him. She had been meditating in the center of the floor, and she rose to greet him. Swiftly he cut her off, informing her coldly about what he had discovered. That day, too, her hand had risen unbidden to her mouth to hold back the grief and denial inside her. Then, with an unexpected twist, Neji had hugged her until she had cried herself out.

"Then why aren't you worried?" Sasuke hissed, clenching and unclenching his hands. "You just saw that! It isn't right!"

"I have faith in him," she whispered, tears leaking from her eyes. She heard Sasuke grunt in disgust, turn, and leave. He hates me, she thought.

Overpowered with emotion, Hinata forced herself to walk the tall flight of stairs. She still had to meet Naruto for training.

*~~*

A/N

Onoes, Naruto was up to no good!


	14. Chapter 14

*~~*

Sparrow and Oriole were sitting around their own kitchen table eating breakfast when they heard a knock on the door.

"Coming!" Sparrow called, lifting herself up and trudging to the living room.

"Open this damn door or I'm breaking it down!" a feminine voice called from the other side of the door. Sparrow and Oriole shared a look; they both knew it was Fennec.

"Please?" another, more polite voice echoed. Sparrow blinked heavily. Why was Squirrel at her door?

Confused, Sparrow opened the door and admitted Fennec, Squirrel, and Lee.

"Um, why are you all here?" Sparrow asked as she shut and locked the door. The four ninja retreated back to the kitchen, where Naruto and Oriole sat talking.

"And when the heck did you get here?" Sparrow stopped in her tracks, staring at Naruto, who was looking at her with sad, wide eyes. "I'm not making any more breakfast," she said with frustration. The group laughed.

"Ne, but I only had an apple!" Naruto protested. The blonde had to dodge as a yellow fruit flew by his head. "And I don't want a banana!"

"Tough," Sparrow pursed her lips and plopped down in her seat, her long cloak billowing around her.

"What's wrong with _her_?" Naruto frowned at the girl as the others sat.

"Puppy love," Oriole snickered. The dark-haired girl had to dodge a second banana, and then jumped out of her seat as Sparrow made a lunge at her.

Naruto frowned momentarily in confusion before smirking evilly, the smile made more mischievous by his elongated fangs and slitted eyes.

"I see," the smirk echoed in his voice, and Sparrow groaned before sinking to the floor in defeat.

"I don't get it," Fennec blinked owlishly, looking around for an explanation.

"Never mind, Fennec," the group said simultaneously, except for Lee, who didn't get it either. The scarred girl shrugged, flipped her bangs out of her mismatched eyes, and turned her attention to Naruto.

"So did we get a mission?" she asked exuberantly.

"Dunno," Naruto chirped, leaning back in his seat and smirking. "I haven't checked yet. Just got home about an hour ago."

"Late-night mission?" Oriole asked curiously as she toyed with a detonator from her kunai holster. With dread, each ninja watched the girl tamper with the device. Apparently, even Lee had been filled in about this particular aspect of their lives.

"Is that not dangerous?" Lee asked suddenly. The other ninja were instantly confused.

"The mission or the bomb?" Squirrel asked for clarification.

"Both?" Lee wasn't sure himself what he'd initially meant.

"Nah," Oriole and Naruto answered simultaneously, before laughing at the coincidence. Lee sat back, both his questions answered.

"So what was the mission?" Squirrel asked curiously, flipping her long braid over her shoulder, though she still kept an eye on Oriole's detonator.

"You'll see," Naruto smirked widely. The other ninja pouted; the blonde was being stubborn again.

"So did you need something?" Sparrow asked, once more in her seat.

"Oh, I wanted you guys to come by the mansion later; I have a ton of missions for Sensei to approve, and then we need to get busy. Squirrel?" he turned his attention to the long-haired brunette who was watching the discussion with interest from the seat next to Lee's.

"Yes?" she turned and looked at him.

"I have a mission for you and Squirrel." The girl frowned.

"You could not give him a different name?" she asked angrily. "I have been Squirrel for so long."

Naruto sat back in his seat and thought for a moment. "Okay," he said finally, "I've got it. He can be Fuzzy."

There was a rigid silence, followed by a deafening laughter.

"I like it," said Squirrel, over the noise of the guffaws. There was another silence, which was broken by a peal of laughter. Shaking her head, Squirrel stood, grabbed Lee, and led him out the door.

"You chased them away," Sparrow wheezed between laughs.

"It's okay," Naruto chuckled, lifting himself from his seat. "I'll see you guys later; I gotta go see Vixen and Wolf." The blonde grinned and walked out the front door.

"He's gotta go see Vixen," Oriole repeated in a whisper while nudging Sparrow's arm. The two giggled, leaving a confused Fennec.

"I still don't get it," she whined, poking them in an attempt to prompt answers.

"I can't believe you," Sparrow groaned, leaning back in her chair. "You don't get the dozens of lewd jokes your teammates make, and you don't get innuendo, but you get all blushy over some doofy older guy!"

"An older guy with one eye!" Oriole added, completely stumped by Fennec's infatuation.

"Innu-what?" Fennec asked confusedly.

"Ugh," Sparrow and Oriole shared a groan and beat their heads against the table; Fennec was more dense than steel when it came to romance.

"Wait a minute!" Fennec yelled suddenly. "He's not doofy! And he does so have two eyes!" Oriole and Sparrow shared another look; they knew Fennec had it bad for the other man. They also knew she that it was the word _eye_ that had told the girl what they were talking about.

"At least you don't love a dog," Oriole cackled, jumping from her seat and joining Fennec on the other side of the table.

"He's not a dog!" Sparrow shrieked, her face flushed, and jumped up from the table. "Say that to my kunai!" Oriole snickered and Fennec grinned. They loved to irritate their friend. Barely tolerating their mischief, Sparrow sat back down.

"Who's not a dog?" Neji murmured as he joined the three in the kitchen. The three looked up when he spoke, and Sparrow turned pink and looked away. Oriole turned red, but her face was glued to the Hyuuga.

"Dunno," Fennec answered, completely fine and wondering why her friends had changed colors. "I like the blue boxers, though; they look comfy."

In a slow-motion moment of horror, Neji looked down, paled, blushed, paled again, and walked out of the kitchen stiff-legged.

"Kami," Sparrow breathed, letting out a mortified breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

"Smexy," Oriole breathed similarly, although much more quietly. Her two friends turned and gaped. Fennec _did_ know the meaning of the word _smexy_.

"What is?" Fennec asked cluelessly.

"She means Falcon," Sparrow choked on a laugh. "Hey Oriole," Sparrow was barely containing laughter, and Oriole knew she was in for the taunting of a lifetime. At the moment though, she couldn't bring herself to care. She had just seen an ivory god, and life was good.

"If I've got puppy love, then you're going through the birds and the bees."

"That was corny," a male voice boomed behind them. Sparrow turned and frowned. Boar was standing in the doorway, Sakura, Ino, Shikamaru, and Finch behind him. Finch, having done her job by letting in the guests, retreated to her room upstairs.

"Shut up, Boar. They can't all be gems," Sparrow pouted. Then, after a moment of contemplation, she added, "And how long have you been standing there?"

"I heard bird and bees," he answered, leading the three leaf-nin to the table, where they all took a seat.

"Good," Sparrow breathed, her short, spiky hair bobbing with her sigh. Boar gave her a look, but didn't ask.

After a brief moment of awkward silence, Neji joined the group downstairs, this time with pants. A shirt, too.

The tense silence grew worse, and Neji pretended he couldn't see anyone as he grabbed an orange from the table and walked out the door. Sparrow was shaking with barely-contained laughter. Oriole was gaping.

"Did we miss something?" Ino asked with annoyance. She hated being out of the loop.

"I'll say you missed something," Sparrow muttered before turning back to the group. "So, what's up?"

"I need you to take one of them; I can only manage two on a mission at a time," Boar indicated the three leaf-nin.

"Anyone in particular?" Oriole asked curiously as she rose to pour a glass of water.

"Not really," Boar yawned. "Just someone. I don't think I can watch three newbies in the middle of a war."

"We'll take pinky," Fennec smiled innocently.

"Kitten," Sakura corrected, believing Fennec had forgotten her code name.

"Right," Fennec echoed in the same innocent tone, nodding slightly.

"Okay," Boar rose, gesturing for Ino and Shikamaru to follow. "We'll be at Tigerdragon-sama's." The ninja waved goodbye, and Boar's group left.

"So, can you explain how you know Fox?" Sakura asked awkwardly, unused to Naruto's code name.

"Oh, don't worry, pinky," Fennec smirked, "We'll explain everything."

A/N

This, I think, is the first occasion where you get to see mostly OC's interacting. I like to do scenes like this, because it reveals what is going on behind the scenes (AKA stuff Naruto doesn't realize is happening) and also because it gives you, the reader, more of a chance to see their personalities in action. The trio especially has a dynamic friendship that particularly enjoy writing.

Also, somewhat Sakura-bashing in the next chapter. Now, hold on, and let me explain. Mostly the girls bash Sakura out of dislike for her (they bash the other kunoichi, too). However, this is not my personal opinion. Additionally, the bashing is used as a tool to further Sakura's personality development.


	15. Chapter 15

*~~*

Sasuke was walking swiftly down one of the many alleys, careful to stay on the Guild side of the city. He was disgusted, as he had made obvious to Hinata, but he wasn't disgusted with her for her trust in their blonde friend.

He was disgusted with himself for not having the same trust.

Because he felt he was being over-emotional, Sasuke wasn't very preoccupied with his surroundings. So, it was inevitable that he'd fall over somebody.

He just didn't expect it to be the waitress from the inn.

"Aiieepp!" the girl shrieked comically, wind-milling to stay on her feet, before she plopped audibly on her bottom. Her red hair, which had been pinned up at the inn, was spilled and tangled over her shoulders and face. The book she had been reading lay defeated on the grass.

Sasuke, from years of ninja training, had excellent balance. He shifted the momentum of the collision into his heels and swiveled, returning to his original position. Now, he towered over the ruffled girl, uncharacteristically frozen in place.

"Sheesh," the girl huffed, tossing her hair out of her face, rolling onto her feet, and snatching her book off the grass. Absent-mindedly she brushed the hair out of her eyes and wiped her clothes off. Satisfied with the mild correction to her appearance, she opened the hard-backed book, turned it right side up, and peered closely at the print.

"You bent a page!" she shrieked, closing the book around one finger and brandishing it at the dark-haired ninja.

"You!" Asayake gasped, recognizing the teen from the inn, though she had seen him for only a few minutes that one night and an hour the next morning. Sasuke's was the kind of face you never forgot.

Still, the ninja stood there, a blank look on his face. He'd apologize, but he didn't apologize to anyone; he'd help her up, but she'd already done that. With no options left, Sasuke removed his gaze from the jumbled waitress and continued down the street.

"You utter jerk!" Asayake yelled after the Uchiha as made quick time down the street and turned at the next intersection. "Teme," she mumbled, all at once concerned with the mess he'd made of her clothes and hair. She'd get his ass for this if it were the last thing she did.

*~~*

Sakura felt warning bells go off in her head. In fact, she heard an entire retinue of sirens and explosions go off in her head. To be blunt, she knew she was screwed.

Obviously, her nickname was not supposed to be cute. She'd already corrected the volatile Guild kunoichi once, and the nickname had only been repeated in a more sinister voice.

Concerned, Sakura looked to the other two girls for help. Sparrow sat on the opposite end of the table, and Oriole had just seated herself, a glass of water in her hand.

Sparrow, though, was smiling more menacingly than Fennec, and Oriole had a delighted, manic look in her eyes.

"You see," Oriole began, taking a sip of her water, "we don't like you Konoha kunoichi very much. You treat Fox like trash, and we can't stand that." Sakura found herself recalling the dozens of times she called Naruto worthless or stupid, the dozens of times she'd compared him to Sasuke.

Before she could respond, Sakura heard Fennec's voice. "And none of you are worth our time. Pathetically weak, and you all cling to loser-sama like glue."

"Except Vixen-chan," Sparrow interrupted. "She works hard, and she doesn't treat Fox like garbage."

Sakura felt as though her head would explode. These girls were Naruto's fanclub, and she'd walked straight into their den. Without chakra, there was no escape.

"That's not fair," Sakura found herself protesting, "we treat him the best we can. And we'd be stronger if we could use our chakra."

"And we'd be stronger if we could use chakra," Oriole retaliated. "It's no excuse."

"Che, forget this," Fennec snapped, disgusted by the leaf kunoichi. "Let's just put pinky in the basement and go. We've got missions to do." The girl rose from her chair, flipping her hair out of her mismatched eyes, and walked over to Sakura. Startled, Sakura sat frozen in her seat as Fennec approached.

"Fennec," Sparrow said calmly, barely in control of her emotions, "leave her alone for now. Fox'd be upset if we hurt her, and we promised we'd stop harassing the kunoichi. You," she glanced at Sakura, "get up and let's go. You're coming with us."

Sakura felt herself rise and follow the kunoichi out of the house and down the road. It was obvious they were very angry with her, and yet they respected Naruto so greatly that they wouldn't hurt his friends on principle. She found herself frightened by their hostility and awed by their loyalty.

Still, what they had said had pissed her off. As Sakura followed the fuming Guild-nin down the street, she vowed to become strong enough to equal them.

We'll see who's pathetically weak, she thought, smirking at their backs.

*~~*

Kakashi and Kiba were beginning to hate Husky. Actually, they were beginning to hate Naruto for putting them on Husky's squad. Husky was a slave driver, and they were the very unfortunate, very tired slaves.

Currently, they were running their last mile of their fifteen-mile set. After this, they'd be allowed to die for about an hour before they had to get up and practice.

As Husky put it, they were finishing their warm-up.

"I'll…kill…that…kid," Kiba wheezed as Akamaru panted beside him. Husky had the dog doing laps, too.

"Not enough energy," Kakashi mumbled, barely intelligible.

"You're wasting energy!" Husky called from behind them, where he was also "warming up." Menacingly, he cracked his knuckles.

The two leaf-nin picked up speed, wondering how their leader wasn't even tired yet.

"Why do you run this much?" Kiba lamented as he jogged, his legs burning with effort.

"City's small," Husky called back an answer, his voice lowering as he caught up with and overtook Kakashi and Kiba. "If we get chased, we gotta be fast to get away."

And for once, while Kakashi agreed, he could freely admit that he didn't give a damn.

In a consensus born of weary torture, Kakashi, Kiba, and Akamaru sank to the ground at the same moment, completely unable to move.

"Fuuuckk," Kiba moaned, too tired to fall into a more comfortable position from his sprawl in the middle of the road.

"Tsk, tsk," a female voice chided somewhere to his left. He vaguely wondered who it was, since he was too tired to look. "Shame, shame, Shepherd," the voice continued, "And here I thought you were a good boy." Girlish giggles broke the rhythmic thumping of his heart in his head, and Kiba instantly knew who was talking to him.

Sparrow and the girls were in the street mocking him.

Damn.


	16. Chapter 16

*~~*

Shikamaru was getting tired. Not lazy-tired, but tried-and-true, dog-ass tired.

And it was Ino's fault.

The girl did not know how to shut up, he decided. Boar didn't ask her to, either. She chattered constantly, asking what the mission was as they received it from a random Guild-nin sent to deliver it. Then she wanted specifics, which just made the whole event Hell.

Where were they going? Who would they likely fight? What was their objective? What did she need to do? What did he need to do? What would Boar do?

Shikamaru was tempted to smack the girl, something he'd never considered before that moment. If he didn't know better, he'd say the girl was nervous around their squad leader.

But that was ridiculous; Ino was constantly the center of attention, and the one thing she could do was manage the attention she received from others.

As they approached their base, Shikamaru felt his whole body relax in relief. They still had to complete the mission, but now he had a chance to walk away from the chatterbox for a few minutes and collect his thoughts.

Still chattering, Ino followed Boar into the squad house as he prepared for the mission. Quietly, he stashed the mission objective and map into his clothes and double-checked his kunai pouch.

"Ready?" he turned to the girl, and her blue eyes sparkled excitedly.

"You bet!" she said confidently, strolling out the door and retrieving Shikamaru. "Let's go." Chuckling, Boar led them down the street.

*~~*

Finally, Naruto had made it to mansion. There, at the training grounds, was Hinata. Her teacher, Kurenai, was also there. Both kunoichi were training seriously, and Naruto found he was impressed by their improvement.

Hinata, when they had started, had been slow and unable to predict many movements. Naruto knew that it had been a lack of practice, and had sparred with her every chance he got.

Now Hinata was dodging under Kurenai's kunai with a fluidity that matched Neji's or Sasuke's, and she was predicting the older woman's movements within seconds.

Kurenai, he noticed, had improved, too. The woman was faster than he remembered her being, and definitely strong. When her kunai caught in a tree up to its hilt, she was able to pull it out in one smooth motion.

Clapping, Naruto approached the sparring women. Embarrassed, Hinata turned red and barely dodged Kurenai's slicing kunai. As Hinata skidded out of reach, the two lowered their weapons and turned towards Naruto.

"Fox?!" Kurenai looked pale, and she was trembling gently. Now, more than ever, Kurenai understood the irony of Naruto's code name.

Naruto's features had lost none of their wildness, and he still seemed very frightening.

Still, Naruto ignored Kurenai's outburst, and asked Hinata to follow him to his sensei's study. When the Hyuuga agreed, Kurenai excused herself, running off to report the latest news to Kakashi, Gai, and Asuma.

Inside the manor, Naruto and Hinata found themselves mostly alone, except for a few random maids cleaning the enormous house. At the large chamber, Naruto once again unlocked the door, and they entered the room together.

"Ah, Fox, Vixen, good to see you," Tigerdragon greeted them from his throne, an open folder resting in his lap. The four generals nodded greeting to their second from their seats.

Eagle, Neji's leader, rose from the group and walked over, a dangerous sparkle in his eye.

"Is this girl related to Falcon?" he asked abruptly, his quiet voice sounding like a dagger cutting through the air.

"Cousins," Naruto answered, aware that the other generals were coming over. They however, were interested in other things, and exited the room. Naruto breathed a small sigh of relief; he didn't want old rivalries sparked this soon.

"Hm, and you chose her over him. Interesting. Any reason?" Eagle was acutely curious, and was studying the girl from top to bottom. The shy Hyuuga was blushing horribly.

"She's not a rival; he is. It'd be competition, and not training," Naruto answered distractedly, looking over at his sensei. Eagle nodded in understanding and left the room, locking the large doors behind him.

"So, Fox," Tigerdragon said with a smile, "what do you need?"

"I'd like to set up some missions."

"Based on what?" By his tone, it was obvious that he already knew the answer.

"My mission last night." Behind him, Naruto heard Hinata turn in surprise and give a small "Oh." Obviously, she had just pieced something puzzling together, but he didn't ask her what.

"Of course." Tigerdragon gave a wide, mischievous smile. "If you'll explain why you had to explode part of the city to accomplish the mission."

*~~*

Neji, like Sasuke, was walking distracted. How had he managed to do something so foolish? Walking downstairs in his boxers.

He felt like an idiot.

Plus, he'd embarrassed himself in front of three insane women who were likely running amok, telling everyone he wore royal blue boxers in front of them.

Jeez, he was an idiot.

In an attempt to distract himself, Neji looked around the street. People poured in and out of markets, stores, squad houses, and homes. No one looked remotely familiar, but the burning embarrassment crawled its way down his face and neck.

Completely burned up with shame and embarrassment, Neji smacked into Sasuke.

At first, the two just stared at each other, deeply affronted and refusing to apologize. Then, they realized that they just didn't care; they'd already suffered too much emotional damage today.

Nodding in agreement, Sasuke turned and joined Neji on his walk. At first, it was silent as the grave. Neji contemplated his error, and Sasuke berated himself.

"Naruto's turning," Sasuke blurted suddenly as they walked down an unoccupied street.

"Turning into what?" Neji asked numbly. He was still far too dazed for Sasuke to be vague with him. Blearily, his mind ran across the possibilities.

Naruto was turning into a ninja? A man? A woman? The Hell? Neji wasn't even sure where his ideas were coming from anymore.

"Part fox," Sasuke paused dramatically, and felt more comfortable. He was good at dramatic pauses. They made him feel more normal.

Neji felt his rapidly decelerating mind derail and shudder to a complete stop.

"Ngh?" The Hyuuga couldn't even form words to express his surprise. Instead, he blinked heavily, his disconcerting Byakugan lending no clues to the confused Uchiha.

"This morning, he came back that way. Feral, but in control. What should we do?" Internally, Sasuke was thinking, what should _I_ do. In his mind, no one else could help his goofy, childish, shabby teammate.

Neji blinked again, shook his head, and started walking. Sasuke naturally fell in step behind.

"Did you ask him?" Neji asked some blocks later, after his mind had rebooted.

"Ask him what?" Sasuke had been brooding, and couldn't remember what they had said.

"If he's okay?" Neji felt better, now. Now he was having a rational, important conversation, and those few embarrassing moments didn't have a chance to repeat in his head.

Now he could stop imagining Oriole's burning face and the icy feeling that ran through his blood because of his embarrassment.

He could stop imagining Sparrow's blush and Fennec's honest words, and the way his royal blue boxers contrasted with his marble skin and the floor tile.

No! He said he could stop imagining it!

But of course he couldn't.

Shaking his head, he replayed the last few seconds of conversation they had just had. Sasuke had said no, and he had asked why not. Okay, now he was up-to-date and waiting for Sasuke to answer.

"I don't know. It just happened too quickly." Neji kept thinking, I know what you mean, damn it, I know, I know.

"Before I could do anything, he was gone and the whole thing was over."

"Just ask him." Neji was good at advice for other people. Here was his best at the moment. And then I just walked out, he thought, and the whole thing was over.

Disgusted with himself, desperately trying to remove the whole pathetic scene from his head, Neji said his goodbyes and left Sasuke, heading as quickly as he could back to the house. The girls would be gone by now, and maybe he could figure out what the Hell was wrong with him.


	17. Chapter 17

*~~*

"Shepherd-kun," Sparrow cooed from the gaggle of girls, "what are you doing?"

"Dying," he moaned, trying to turn his head and failing. Laughing, the teasing kunoichi lifted the exhausted boy off the ground and over to the nearest porch. It was Squirrel's squad house, and she knew the girl wouldn't mind.

Likewise, Oriole helped Akamaru, while Fennec helped Kakashi. The whole while, Fennec was pink.

The Guild girls were certain the exhausted shinobi hadn't noticed.

Sakura, feeling left out, approached Husky. She was well aware of what she was doing, and knew that she'd be switching teams, again.

"Sir?" she approached the laughing leader, and he turned towards her. "I was wondering if you would train me, too?"

Surprisingly, the man laughed raucously. "Sure! My other students seem to be done for the day, anyway. Hey, girls!" he turned to the Guild kunoichi, "take them somewhere to rest for me. I'll take this one off your hands." Husky was very surprised at the enthusiasm with which his offer was received.

So, the girls ditched Sakura and gained two exhausted shinobi and a dog.

At this point, they had to decide how to get the guys back to Sparrow's squad house. Fennec's was closer, they knew, but Sparrow's would be much more comfortable for ailing ninja from Husky's _program_.

Fennec, employing the great strength she was known for, lifted an exhausted and unconscious Kakashi over her shoulders and began walking away. Tickling the Inuzuka to keep him awake, Sparrow lifted Kiba to his feet and helped him limp back to her house. With no one to carry, Oriole followed behind, laughing at the scene they made. Akamaru, luckily, was still able to walk comfortably, so he followed the girls.

*~~*

Neji entered the squad house and was instantly relieved. There were some ninja here, but none of them had seen him in his boxers. The Hyuuga dashed up the stairs and ran to Naruto's old room, which he had cleaned meticulously since he'd taken it over.

Lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, Neji felt a little better. His uncle had always told him to meditate to get control of his feelings, but before today, he hadn't needed to.

Desperate, the boy sat in the middle of the room and prepared himself, getting into the correct breathing pattern and aligning his body properly. Just as he felt himself coming to peace with the incident earlier that day, he heard the front door slam.

Snapped out of his meditation, Neji jumped up and ran out of his room, to the top of the stairs. From there, he could see the girls, Kakashi, Kiba, and Akamaru collapse onto the cushions that littered the front room floor.

The men, he could see, were already asleep. The girls were tired from dragging them all the way. Fennec fell asleep sitting up against the wall, and Sparrow fell asleep in a heap. The boys were sprawled where they had fallen, and Oriole was watching it all with a satisfied smile.

Suddenly, the girl looked up and caught Neji's eyes. The Hyuuga, normally frigid, felt himself grow red in the face. Oriole just smiled, set her explosives aside, and joined the sleeping retinue on the cushions, waving him down.

Without meaning to, Neji jerked in surprise and he watched as she set a small, black, plastic device on the table and press a button on it. Remarkably, nothing happened. The dark-haired girl just grinned and flopped down on the cushions with the others.

Completely confused, Neji went back to his room and resumed his meditation.

Little did he know what Oriole had planned for the household.


	18. Chapter 18

*~~*

Naruto laughed nervously as Tigerdragon and Hinata awaited an answer. Characteristically, he sat on the marble table and ruffled his hands through his hair.

"Well, this is what happened," he began.

_Naruto ran down the alleyways, guiding himself with acute senses and removing his sense of light. Not once did he encounter a Destruction ninja._

_Deep in the heart of Destruction territory, Naruto emerged from an alley next to a large barracks. Unlike the other factions, Destruction hired normal people to act as ninja. They had the money and the morals, so they did it. These people stayed in the barracks, along with the weaker ninja. _

_Barracks, Naruto thought. They were jokes. They were just sheds for cannon fodder for Destruction to throw at the other three factions. Judging by the amount of barracks he had encountered, they had quite a lot of cannon fodder._

_Waiting for a clear chance, Naruto sprinted across the road, ran through another alley, and appeared next to the major squad houses. These houses were as lavish as the barracks had been destitute. Ivy snaked up the sides in intricate patterns, and roses grew on trellises. Each house was two or three stories tall, and housed only one ninja family._

_Disgust welled in Naruto's stomach. These people were awful. Still, he had a job to do. He couldn't worry about this right now._

_Again, he waited for a chance, and cut across a road, this time emerging next to several factories. This was his target. Unlike the other factions, Destruction made a lot of their weapons. It made sense, though. They were the faction of war._

_Naruto left the bandana over his face until he reached the door of the first factory. The bandana was a good way to work when he could sense life forms and when he knew the layout of the streets, but it would hinder him as he tried to pick a lock. _

_Placing the bandana back on his head, he removed a pick from his kunai holster. He didn't get a chance to pick locks often, and he felt excited at the prospect. Gently, he jimmied the pick into the hole, turning it left and right until the tumblers clicked. _

_He knew there were other ways into the factory, but this one required the least energy, which he might need for an escape if something went wrong. _

_He was counting on something going wrong._

_As the last tumbler clicked, Naruto pushed the door open quietly, placing the pick back into his holster. Not surprisingly, no one was guarding the factory. Destruction hadn't thought anyone could get through their levels of guards to be able to get this far._

_Naruto shut the door behind him and began looking around. Boxes of bombs similar to Oriole's littered the floor, and tons of equipment lie on the assembly line, wires and buttons pushing out of it. _

_First, Naruto moved to the bombs. He needed a way to deactivate them all quickly, rather than one at a time. Getting an idea, he walked over to a nearby sink, where large, finished parts were getting a thorough cleaning before they were packed. Grabbing a crate, Naruto yanked it over, drenched it, and pulled a second one over._

_Drenching the crates, Naruto realized, would take time. There were so many, and that still left the unusual technology on the conveyor. As he soaked the bombs, he thought of a way to hinder the technology. _

_Hitting the spray button on the sink, Naruto pulled out a shuriken and lined himself up. If he did it just right, it would only take one throw. Aiming carefully, he threw the star, and it sliced through a large row of wires, destroying them and finally embedding itself into the far wall. _

_Relieved, Naruto finished the last of the bomb crates and walked along the conveyor belt towards his shuriken. He knew better than to leave traces of himself for the enemy. As he walked along the belt, he grabbed the ends of the frayed wires and pulled, ripping them from their sockets and permanently rendering them useless._

_The machines, he knew, would still operate when the wires were replaced, but he also knew that that could take months. They needed those months._

_Placing his shuriken back in his holster, Naruto surveyed his work. An entire factory of unknown technology and bombs had been rendered useless. It might have been only one factory out of twenty, maybe one out of thirty, but it was a big blow for a tech-based ninja._

_Silently, Naruto repeated the process, exiting the first building and entering the one next door. This one, too, was unguarded. This time, Naruto set out to ruin swords and shuriken. _

_This factory, he thought, would be the most fun to destroy. Each shuriken had to be blunted, and each sword had to be blunted or broken. _

_Taking his time, Naruto would reach into the crates of shuriken and throw them at the steel walls of the factory. Some would stick, and some would clank off, but they all blunted. The swords were even easier. With a quick maneuver, he would spear one into a wall before wrenching it in a direction as hard as he could. Stuck, the sword's blade would bend, and finally break._

_At the third factory, Naruto destroyed uniforms. They were all identical: a deep black shirt and a deep black set of pants. This factory would be his easiest, he knew. Technically, it wasn't weapons, but it was still equipment; that was good enough for him. Pulling out a kunai, he shredded uniform after uniform._

_Finally, he reached a fourth factory. _

_This factory he knew instinctively was dangerous. It was full of explosive tags, senbon, kunai, swords, shuriken, all piled on top of each other. It was a hazard waiting to happen. _

_And he didn't know how to go about it this time. _

_There was no sink for the explosives, and all the walls were behind the crates. He didn't want to throw anything at the wooden boxes in case there were explosives in them._

_Finally, he just decided to blow the whole damn thing up. _

_He'd only been ordered to take down any random four factories, and this would be the last one. Cautiously, he set his explosive fire tags and ran. Finally, his final object went up in a hailstorm of fire and sharp weaponry, melted beyond use._

_The explosion, however, caught the attention of the Destruction-nin. Suddenly, they seemed to be swarming him._

_With only his few weapons, he knew he'd never be able to fight them off. Not like this. Shutting his eyes, he concentrated, pulling the help from deep within him._

_Naruto felt his canines elongate to fangs, and his nails lengthen. He felt his hair lift off his head in untamed spikes, and he felt his eyesight improve as his eyes slitted instantly. His whisker marks seemed more like extensions of his own body, and he felt much more powerful._

_Concentrating, he pulled the red, glowing energy into his hand, forming a deadly, demonic Rasengan and plunging it into the ground, giving the Destruction ninja an ample demonstration of his abilities._

_When they still didn't retreat, he knew he would have to take drastic measures. With ease, he cloned himself, and he, along with his clones, launched a Rasengan in various directions. Suddenly, the ninja were scattered, the nearby buildings were on fire, and he was running like the winds were on his heels._

_Like he had said earlier; he loved the Quadgram._

*~~*


	19. Chapter 19

*~~*

Sakura was beginning to regret her decision to train with Husky. The man was insane. Already, he had her running laps while wearing leg weights, a form of training Sakura had hoped to never encounter. And the man himself was a dangerous mixture of Kakashi's menace and Gai's enthusiasm.

"You slowed down!" Husky called from behind her as she ran yet another lap, the weights pulling her down. Sakura grit her teeth and bit back a scathing reply; twice already she had yelled at her teacher, and twice she had received extra "training." She didn't want more.

Sakura found herself glaring at her leg weights rather than her teacher. Distracted by her anger, the pink-haired kunoichi ran into someone on the street.

Weighted down, Sakura toppled instantly, falling over her victim and moaning in pain. The victim groaned in displeasure.

"Would you people stop falling over me!" Asayake wailed, flailing beneath the fallen Sakura.

"I am so sorry, my dearest rose!" Husky popped out of nowhere, pulling his aching student off of the redhead. "Please forgive my sorry student!"

"Sorry! I'll show you sorry!" Sakura yelled hazily, trying not to topple from sheer exhaustion. Asayake let Husky pull her off the ground, and she dusted herself off wearily. Finding her book, Husky returned the treasured tome to the girl before bowing stiffly.

"Stop that, Husky-kun," Asayake said, annoyed by the man's behavior.

"Yes, my lady," Husky bowed again, stuttering and awkward. Asayake sighed and brushed her blood-red hair into a semblance of order. Frowning, she turned to Sakura, who was wearily trying to stay on her feet.

"And who are you?" Asayake asked curiously, placing her book into her pocket.

"I'm Sa-Kitten. I'm Kitten," Sakura managed to mutter, still very confused and exhausted.

"Kitten?" The redhead turned to Husky in askance.

"New girl. From Konoha, with Fox," Husky told her, still stuttering and blushing.

Asayake rolled her eyes. One of _them._ Like that jerk that had knocked her down earlier.

_Like that jerk that had knocked her down earlier._

"Excuse me," she turned to Sakura and led her over to a bench to sit down, "I didn't mean to cause such a stir." Husky trailed behind the girls, very confused and eager to please Asayake. Sakura, once seated, found herself much more lucid. In a moment of anger and disgust, she yanked the weights off and tossed them into the dirt.

"Now that you feel better," Asayake said, tapping Sakura on the arm, "perhaps you could help me with something." Sakura looked up into Asayake's bright blue-green eyes, so similar to her own, and nodded.

"There's a guy on your team from Konoha. He was very nice to me earlier, and I would like to return the favor and invite you all out for dinner. Perhaps you could tell me his name?" Asayake waited, and Sakura nodded slowly.

"What's he look like?" Sakura asked slowly, feeling the logic that training had blown away coming back to her.

"He's very pale, and he has black hair like this," Asayake put one hand behind her head in an imitation of a rooster's comb.

"Sasuke-kun?!" Sakura blurted, completely caught off guard. "Sasuke-kun was _nice _to you!?" Asayake felt herself nod and smile innocently, though she was thinking, _So he's a jerk to everybody, then_.

Behind them, Husky jerked and looked at Asayake with eyes as large as saucers. Asayake turned as Sakura gazed into the street with disbelief. When she caught Husky's eye, Asayake smiled and put a finger to her lips. Husky nodded, still wide-eyed.

"Well, thank you for your assistance," Asayake smiled, nodding to the two ninja, and walked away. After a few minutes, Husky roared at Sakura, yelling at her to get up and train.

Down the street, Asayake smiled depravedly. _Sasuke_.

*~~*

While Naruto and Hinata headed deep into Tigerdragon's mansion, Kurenai raced the streets of Guild, searching for Kakashi. Gai and Asuma were behind her, following her since she had picked them up at their squad house.

The three jounin looked extremely worried, and were desperate to find Kakashi. As Naruto's sensei, it was imperative that he be informed of the blonde's condition.

"Where do you think he could be?" Kurenai asked the others as they glanced around the street.

"He wasn't with Husky, like they said he would be," Asuma ground out as they darted off again, disappearing down an alley.

"Perhaps we should ask Sparrow," Kurenai suggested, looking back at her fellow jounin. "She would at least have an idea." The three jounin nodded and dashed off toward Sparrow's squad house.

*~~*

Sasuke fought back the desire to kill. He really, really wanted to harm somebody or something. He felt like an idiot, emotions were whirling inside of him, he knew he was late for training, and he'd just had a disturbing conversation with Neji.

He was _really_ fighting that desire to kill.

Still, he managed to make it back to Naruto's mansion without too much of a problem, leaving only some badly damaged trees and some skittish squirrels in his wake. Unable to drag himself to training, the Uchiha decided he'd take a look around.

After all, how much did they really know about Naruto's past?

Having found a non-Sasuke related interest, the Uchiha clung to it like a life preserver, and began searching Naruto's mansion like a miner searching for gold.

*~~*

TenTen found herself sighing heavily as she sat with Chouji and Shino at a restaurant, eating noodles. She was completely bored. There was no one to talk to but the boys, and Shino talked as much as a rock. A very boring, moving rock covered in bugs. And all Chouji cared about was training and food.

With another sigh, TenTen looked around the square. The place was huge, and always bustling. People in the four main colors of the Quadgram milled about, talking with each other on semi-friendly terms.

Suddenly, she heard a great commotion and turned around. Inside the restaurant, two boys in black were arguing with a guy in red. The two in black tried to intimidate the older, taller boy, failed, and threw punches. The Force-nin caught both punches expertly, lifted the boys in the air, and threw them out the door, laughing as they ran.

"You shouldn'ta done that, Blaze," a second Force-nin called from the table behind her. "They'll just come back. And this place is supposed to be non-combat, remember?"

"They started it," Blaze called back as he walked towards the table. TenTen felt herself gaping in awe and turned back to her food. Now that she looked down at her soba, she realized she'd barely touched it, while the boys were almost finished.

"We'll meet you back at Wasp's," Chouji told her as the two boys rose from their seats, paid the bill, and left. TenTen could tell she was flushing with anger, and she dug into her noodles while she listened to the Force-nin talking behind her.

"Uh-oh. I told you so," the unnamed Force ninja chuckled, "here come some more." Startled, TenTen looked out the window and saw more Destruction ninja heading for the restaurant.

Behind her, Blaze tsked, rose from his seat, and stood waiting. In addition to the original Destruction-nin, four more entered the restaurant. Easily, they outnumbered Blaze and his friend.

Still, the orange-haired ninja was smiling, standing confidently in the middle of the room. Behind him, customers crouched down low in the seats, watching curiously, and the employees ducked behind doors and tables.

"You hurt Pox and Famine?" the tallest Destruction ninja bellowed, pointing at the boys in question. Indeed, they looked beaten, with bruises and scratches covering their bodies.

"I threw them out. I didn't touch them, otherwise. Not here." Blaze answered confidently, and waited. The other ninja tensed, and looked at his subordinates carefully. One was staring at the floor guiltily, but the older boy was glaring venomously at Blaze.

"I see," the Destruction-nin murmured, standing straighter and glaring at the two boys. Suddenly, the older boy reached into his clothes, pulling out a kunai and hurling it point-blank with deadly speed. Blaze flinched slightly as the unavoidable kunai sped toward his heart.

Unthinkingly, TenTen pulled a kunai and threw. Both ninja factions flinched as the two kunai collided, chinking loudly, and flew off at different angles, embedding themselves into the wall. Slowly, the clashing ninja turned at looked at TenTen in surprise.

The girl sat sideways at her table, her soba half-finished, and her arm outstretched from where she had thrown her kunai. She was wearing a tight blue shirt with no sleeves, similar to the outfit she used to wear, and long, blue pants.

"Damn Guild-nin," the Destruction leader growled out suddenly, though he seemed relieved. Angrily he snatched the older boy by his ear and began dragging him out the door. The other Destruction-nin, confused and shocked, followed. Turning, TenTen watched through the window as they walked across the square and disappeared into the crowd.

Letting out a deep breath, TenTen shook gently and began eating her remaining noodles. She jumped slightly and nearly choked when Blaze and his friend slid into the booth across from her.

"Hi," Blaze grinned, his shining, white teeth contrasting with his luminous, orange hair.


	20. Chapter 20

*~~*

Boar, Ino, and Shikamaru were walking sedately down an alley at the edge of Destruction territory. Quietly, they stopped at the edge of the alley and pulled out several weapons, ready to strike. Their mission was simple but deadly: they were distractions.

Suddenly, as though goaded by an invisible signal, the three darted from the alley, striking ninja and commoner alike lightly with their weapons. Several ninja became pinned to the walls with kunai, and commoners began running and screaming.

Boar, Shikamaru realized, had done this sort of thing before. He attacked civilian and ninja alike with ease, though he inflicted no serious wounds. Shikamaru himself found it difficult to strike a woman running scared through the streets. At the next second, however, he regretted his decision. When the woman made it up the street, she flung off her trailing kimono and attacked with savage fury, her Destruction uniform hiding her in the shadows.

Struggling, the three ninja fought their way down the street, inciting terror and anger, until they were trapped in a dead end. Each prepared to leap onto the roof, when a circle of Destruction-nin surrounded them, the woman Shikamaru hadn't attacked at their head.

"Bastards!" a yell echoed from above, and Eagle dropped down from the rooftops, knocking down enemies like dominoes. Boar gave each teammate a look, and they jumped to the safety of the rooftops, where Eagle's team waited calmly for their leader to finish.

Weary and injured, the three ran back to the safety of Guild as fast as they could, their mission complete.

*~~*

Squirrel and Lee walked slowly down the street toward her squad house, passing the girls, Kakashi, Kiba, and Akamaru on the way. Both ninja stared curiously at the spectacle, but didn't stop. Finally, they approached her house, and she led Lee inside.

"Sis! Sis!" a boy chanted as he ran up to Squirrel and hugged her tightly. "You're back!" Although Squirrel was nineteen, the same age as Lee, her brother Chipmunk was only thirteen. He'd barely been a few months old when their parents had died, and they had taken to the streets. Because she'd had to steal and fight to survive, she'd been away from him a lot, and he'd grown up fearing she'd never come back to him.

"Yes, yes, Chip. You know I only went out for a walk," sighing, she returned the hug and let him drag her to the kitchen, where the others were waiting to eat lunch.

"Your brother seems very attached," Lee commented, smiling, though there was a sad look in his eyes. He himself had no family at all.

"Yes," Squirrel gave him a wry smile.

"Hurry and eat!" Chipmunk cried, his tousled brunette locks shaking as he pulled on his sister. "We got a mission."

"We have a mission," Squirrel corrected as they joined the others at the table. Besides her brother, herself, and now Lee, Squirrel had several other people on her team. Her best friend Mouse was the only other girl, and there were three guys: Shrew, Rat, and Groundhog.

"Yeah, right," Chipmunk nodded, digging into his food. "But it says that only four of us can go!"

Squirrel frowned, tossing her braid over her haori. More and more missions seemed to be calling for fewer people. Sighing, she reached out a hand for the scroll, and Chipmunk deposited it willingly into her grasp.

"It says four, for a hit-and-run mission." Squirrel sighed again. Most of the people on her team were a mixture of stealth, intelligence, and speed. She would definitely need her strongest people here.

"Who ya takin', sis, who ya takin'?" Chipmunk bounced up and down with glee. As much as he feared that his sister would never return, he was still very proud that she got so many missions.

For a moment, Squirrel thought, twisting her braid nervously. "I will take you," she looked at Chipmunk, "Mouse, and Fuzzy." The others stared at her curiously, as though she had lost her mind.

"Who's Fuzzy?" Mouse asked the question on everyone's minds, and her face twisted up in a mixture of laughter and confusion.

"Him," Squirrel pointed to Lee, who was grinning widely and giving them a thumbs-up.

"Riight," Shrew nodded, biting his lip with concealed laughter. Quickly, the boys excused themselves, and could be heard guffawing on the way to their rooms down the hall.

"What is so funny?" Squirrel looked at the remaining three severely, demanding an answer. The three shook their heads in mock and real ignorance and finished their meals.

Finally, after several minutes of preparation, they headed out the door.

"Remember, Chip," Squirrel turned to her younger brother, who was talking enthusiastically with Lee about techniques, "Be careful."

"I will! Yosh!" Chip exclaimed, copying Lee's grin and thumbs-up perfectly.

Squirrel felt her heart melt.

Mouse attempted to tear out her eyes.

*~~*

Kurenai and the others ran swiftly, and they finally arrived to Sparrow's squad house.

"So this is the place?" Asuma asked curiously. "Their house is bigger than ours!"

"They have more people," Kurenai explained as they walked up to the front door.


	21. Chapter 21

*~~*

It had been a few hours since the girls had come home with their finds, and since Neji had resumed searching for inner peace. The other girls in the household, who were the rest of Sparrow's team, had left a while ago to hang out.

In his room, Neji had dozed off sitting up, his head falling forward and his mouth slightly ajar.

Downstairs, the room was a mess. Akamaru was curled up in one corner, on a pile of cushions. Against the wall was Fennec, her legs draped over the copy-nin's stomach. Kakashi himself was sprawled out, so completely exhausted that he couldn't feel the kunoichi's weight. Oriole rested on top of several cushions near the table and her plastic device. Sparrow was curled up in the other corner of the room, clutching kunai and mumbling gently. Kiba slept nearby, his legs propped against the wall, and was snoring loudly.

Suddenly, the plastic device on the table began to beep gently. If anyone had been awake to see it, they would have noticed it now had small, red numbers on its face, and that the numbers were rapidly decreasing.

:05 Kurenai, Asuma, and Gai arrived, and began walking toward the door. Upstairs, Neji snored loudly, startling himself awake.

:04 The jounin approached the door. Neji drowsed off again, sleeping more lightly than before. Fennec shifted, rolling onto her side, so that she still rested her legs on Kakashi, but her back was more comfortable and the ponytails on the back of her head didn't press so harshly against the wall.

:03 Kurenai knocked once on the front of the door. Neji's head began to loll gently. Fennec felt her legs stretch slightly as she moved and sighed. Oriole's eyelids fluttered and a smile graced her lips.

:02 Kurenai knocked a second time. Neji jerked his head up, still asleep. Fennec grinned slightly in pleasure. Oriole shifted slightly and rolled toward the table. Sparrow clutched her kunai tightly as her nightmare grew worse.

:01 Kurenai knocked a third time, somewhat impatiently. Neji shifted slightly in his sleep as he began to dream. Fennec's smirk disappeared as she began to snore. Oriole yawned. Sparrow kicked slightly. Kiba snorted loudly and dropped his legs to the floor.

BANG!

Suddenly, the device on the table exploded, sending out a tiny flame and a barrage of whistles, sirens, and explosions flying through the house.

Upstairs, Neji jerked awake, took a deep breath, and choked in surprise.

Downstairs, the jounin broke through the door, fearing the worst.

Kakashi sat up, startled, and Fennec shot awake, rolling over and attempting to stand. Sharply, her foot smashed between his legs, and the jounin yelped. Fennec, caught off guard, fell over, banging her chin on the floor.

Akamaru leapt up, barreling over the fallen ninja in an attempt to locate Kiba. Sparrow and Kiba woke at the same moment, jumping up right in each other's line of vision. Still trapped in her nightmare, Sparrow's eyes were unseeing, and she threw the kunai in several directions.

Kiba gasped as the kunai flew towards him, gagged on his drool, and was knocked over by Akamaru as the dog fell over Kakashi and Fennec.

The kunai, which should have hit Kiba, caught the jounin by surprise, and they barely dodged.

Neji threw open his door, raced downstairs, and froze, still choking gently.

The front room looked like Hell.

Jounin lay flat on the floor like roadkill, shaking gently in pain or fear. Fennec and Kakashi were tangled together, and Akamaru and Kiba had hit the wall headfirst. Sparrow was standing in the corner, more kunai in hand, looking around the room blankly. Slowly, she placed the kunai back in her holster, blinked gently, and walked around the room, kicking the bodies on the floor gently.

"Dead," she giggled, her eyes still blank, and she walked into the kitchen and through the door in the kitchen that led to her bedroom.

"The Hell?" Neji rasped, his throat still sore. Slowly, unsure if the girl would return, the three jounin rose from the floor and stood surveying the damage.

Oriole popped up from the floor, smile on her face, looking fresh as a daisy.

"Good morning," she chirped, blinking widely. Neji felt his legs go out from under him.

_She's a psycho_, he thought, _just like the others._

*~~*

Chouji and Shino walked casually down the street to Wasp's, enjoying a companionable silence. They were both thinking how fortunate they were to be rid of TenTen's annoying chatter.

Together, they walked past house after house, and then field after field. Wasp's house was out further than most, and it would take some time to get there. Suddenly, a thin murmur drifted down the street, and grew louder the further they walked.

"Is that music?" Chouji turned to Shino, a confused look on his face.

"Sounds like it," Shino replied, not quite as taciturn as TenTen believed. Girls just made him nervous, that's all.

After all, most female insects devoured the males when they were done with them, and secretly, Shino had always feared the same fate.

Especially around women like TenTen, Ino, and Sakura.

Finally, the two arrived to a giant field, where dozens of beehives sat warming in the sun. Around the hives were fields of flowers, and several women sat in the fields or walked among the hives singing.

Two of the girls in the field waved the shinobi over, and as they approached, they realized the two girls were braiding flower crowns and drinking lemonade.

"Hi," the girls crooned, offering them a glass each and beckoning them to sit.

"So," the girl on the right began, her long honey-colored hair shining in the sun, "do you like bees?" Several of the insects buzzed over from the flowers and settled peacefully around them.

Shino fought a nosebleed.

*~~*

Back in Tigerdragon's mansion, Naruto was glaring a hole in the floor. He was extremely embarrassed to talk about the fox, especially in front of Hinata.

"That's it?" Tigerdragon asked calmly. Naruto nodded, feeling extremely ashamed of himself for having the fox inside him. He didn't deserve to be around Hinata.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, Vixen-chan," Naruto rasped, still glaring a hole in the floor.

"No, don't be, Fox-kun!" Hinata yelled. As Naruto looked up in surprise, the Hyuuga blushed. "I mean, you didn't have to tell me. It's your secret."

"But you should know! You should all know!" he yelled back.

"But I already knew…" Hinata trailed off, embarrassed. Naruto sat gaping in surprise. Suddenly, Hinata knew she'd crossed the line. Overwhelmed, she turned to leave, and a pair of arms enfolded her.

"Thank you," Naruto whispered in her ear. Hinata fought the rampant blush tearing at her body, but failed and went limp in Naruto's arms.

Confused, Naruto lifted her and set her on the general's table.

"Seems you've overwhelmed your pupil," Tigerdragon snickered.

"It's not funny, Sensei!" Naruto shouted, his voice choked with emotion. Tigerdragon's grin grew.

"Now, what kind of missions did you want?" the leader asked, willing to let Naruto adjust to his changing environment. Whether he knew it or not, Naruto was about to get a lot of changes in his life, and they might not all be this welcomed by the blonde.

*~~*


	22. Chapter 22

*~~*

It had been several minutes since Squirrel's group had met Boar's group. Boar, Ino, and Shikamaru had been leaving Destruction territory just as Squirrel, Lee, Chipmunk, and Mouse had been entering it.

Hastily, Squirrel had led them down several streets, and they were approaching their destination: a ninja academy in Destruction territory.

According to their mission scroll, the place was supposed to be empty and unprotected since the Destruction ninja were off dealing with distractions like Boar's team.

"Okay," Squirrel commanded, "Spread out and place the bombs."

The others nodded, and they all went in a different direction. As Squirrel ran around a building, she felt a sense of unease snake into her body. Something was going to go wrong, or someone was in danger.

Suddenly, a hand snaked out of the darkness and grabbed her by her braid, pulling her back. "Seems our information leak worked," a venomous voice hissed, and the Destruction-nin's long, lank, oily, black hair hung over Squirrel's face.

Incensed, Squirrel pushed her leg off the ground, vaulting up and smashing the man in the face. She grinned in satisfaction as his nose began to bleed and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

Meanwhile, Mouse was having similar trouble. Two Destruction kunoichi had her surrounded, wielding kunai. Mouse herself fought with a katana, and she thought herself mismatched. However, as they fought, she found her misgivings unfounded.

The two ninja had obviously never fought together before, and they attacked in intervals, rather than simultaneously. As they ran out of weapons, Mouse twirled around them, her short white hair swirling, and struck them with the hilt of her sword, knocking them out.

Chipmunk found himself outnumbered, four to one. Each of the ninja was twice as tall as he was, and they were smirking maliciously. Drawing on all his courage, Chipmunk pulled a kunai and waited for the attack.

Suddenly, a roar split the air, and the four ninja were suddenly dispatched by a blue blur.

"Fuzzy! It's you!" Chipmunk whooped as he followed his hero.

"This is more dangerous than we expected," Lee murmured worriedly as he helped Chipmunk set his explosives on the side of a building. Without saying anything, Lee forced the first chakra gate open. He wasn't sure if he'd need the power, but it couldn't hurt.

*~~*

The two girls waited nervously for their male teammates. Suddenly they caught sight of them waving from across the courtyard while running toward them.

"Are they set?" Squirrel asked as the two boys joined the group.

"Yes," Lee nodded, and Squirrel pulled the detonator from her shirt, sighing in relief.

"Great!" a sinister voice boomed, and the ninja with lank, oily hair sprang from the foliage behind them, snatching the detonator from Squirrel's hand.

As he bounded backwards, several other Destruction ninja joined him. The Guild-nin gritted their teeth in anger and disbelief; they were certain they had knocked these people out!

"Now we have the upper hand," the leader hissed, "and you'd better do what we say." The four Guild ninja stood brandishing their weapons in disbelief. All man could do was blow up his own building; the Guild-nin could just run away.

"You see," the man gestured toward the academy, and blinds fell away from one building, revealing three small children crying and tied to chairs, "If you don't do what we say, you'll lose three of your students." He laughed terribly and gestured at his men.

"Drop your weapons," he commanded. Kunai and a katana clattered to the ground. The subordinates approached, though they seemed unhappy with their leader's plan, and clasped the Guild-nin's hands behind their backs with solid, steel cables before tying them to a tree with another firm, steel cable.

Then, a man who looked as though he enjoyed his leader's plan immensely stepped forward and began to rummage around in Squirrel's robes. The four ninja gritted their teeth in disgust and anger, and Squirrel attempted to bite him. Finding what he sought, the man pulled the mission scroll from Squirrel's robe and walked back to his leader, where they began to discuss it.

Lee, angrier than he thought he could be, looked over at Squirrel, who was scarlet.

"If I break this chain, can you get away?" he looked his leader in the eye.

"They will kill the kids," she hissed, angry with the man but taking it out on Lee.

"No. They will be fine. I can do it," Lee looked Squirrel in the eyes and flexed gently. The steel cable snapped slightly. Squirrel looked up at Lee as though she were seeing him for the first time, and nodded.

"Do it," she whispered, telling the plan to Mouse and Chipmunk before turning back to Lee, "and make them pay."

Lee nodded, and flexed sharply, simultaneously snapping the large cable and the cable that surrounded his wrists. As the others dashed off, he slid into a fight stance and took off.

Powered up as he was, Lee knew he could easily take the weak ninja before him. In one stride, he punched out all but the leader and his top henchmen, the man who had affronted Squirrel. He could hear the curses from the two men, and the leader's threat to push the detonator.

Lee rocketed toward the school, slamming through the wall, gathering the children in his arms, and barreling back out through the hole in the wall. Behind him, he could feel the ground shake where the bombs detonated.

Swiftly, Lee dashed behind a tree and hunkered over the three children, determined to protect them from the blast. He felt the hot air and the debris zing by, and he felt as sharp pain as a piece caught him in the shoulder.

When the debris stopped flying, Lee looked up to see the two Destruction ninja standing above him, their kunai pointed at his face.

Filled with righteous anger, Lee jumped up, punching the two soundly in the face. The two dropped their weapons as they went flying over the burning school building. As the children whimpered, Lee comforted them before gathering them in his arms and taking off after his teammates. He didn't want them running into any more trouble.

*~~*

Boar, Ino, and Shikamaru trudged slowly down the streets on the Guild side of the city. They were completely worn out. Suddenly, a large explosion could be heard, and flames and smoke whirled over Destruction.

Then, three shapes ran by, before slowing down and running back. Squirrel, Mouse, and Chipmunk jumped Boar, crying loudly as they attempted to free their hands from behind their backs.

"Squirrel, what's wrong; what is it?!" Boar shook her gently, but she only sobbed harder, and they all sank to the ground in tears.

"Kids…explosion…trap…" Squirrel managed to mumble between sobs.

Boar felt a cold horror run through him. The explosion. Kids had been killed. Fuck.

"Squirrel!" An exhausted voice called from down the street. "Squirrel-chan!"

Squirrel lifted her head and looked, revealing puffy, red eyes and a grimace.

"You made it!" she jumped in joy, screaming loudly in excitement. Lee, smiling, ran over before collapsing tiredly on the street. Gently he released the children, who stood silent and confused.

At the same moment, Ino and Squirrel gasped and ran over. Ino hurriedly inspected the children, and Squirrel looked at Lee with concern and awe.

"Are you okay?" Squirrel asked with concern, but Lee nodded gently at the children. Understanding, Squirrel looked the kids over, before nodding back at Lee. Lee grinned with relief before nodding at Squirrel's hands. Confused, she turned around, and Lee snapped the cable around her hand. Afterwards, Mouse and Chipmunk came over, and were also released.

Shikamaru watched the scene with disinterest. Lee had saved the day again. Woo-hoo. Then, Shikamaru noticed a dark stain spreading on Lee's shirt. Slowly he circled the teen, and he winced at his discovery.

"You're bleeding," he told Lee, lifting back the shredded shirt, "and something sharp's embedded in your shoulder."

The girls gasped, and the children began to cry again.

"I am fine," Lee assured him, but he winced as a wave of pain sliced through him.

"Quick, Sis, quick, get him to the infirmary," Chipmunk tugged on Squirrel's sleeve. The girl nodded dazedly before helping Lee to his feet. Together, they began to walk toward Tigerdragon's, where the infirmary was located. Again, the children began to cry.

"You can come with us," she told the children, who began to toddle after her. "Tigerdragon-sama has to sort this mess out, anyway. You guys go home," she told her team and Boar's team seriously. As the adults nodded, Squirrel and Lee set off to Tigerdragon's, with the children behind.

Waving goodbye, Boar's team headed one way, and Mouse and Chipmunk headed another.

"Bastards," Mouse growled suddenly on their way home, making Chipmunk jump, "They still have my katana."

*~~*


	23. Chapter 23

*~~*

At the base, Shikamaru slithered downstairs into his bed faster than he'd moved when they were fighting Destruction-nin. Boar, distracted by his inability to help Squirrel, gave Ino a brusque goodnight and headed off to his room. Returning the gesture, Ino trudged upstairs to her own room.

With a sigh, the blonde realized that Sakura wasn't home yet. Ino frowned; she really needed to talk to her friend. With another sigh, she walked into her room and collapsed on her bed.

*~~*

The other girl giggled as she saw her friend talking to the boy with the long, collared jacket. Pouring more lemonade, she turned to the other, muscular boy.

"So, what's your name?" she grinned.

"Butterfly," Chouji choked out, embarrassed by Naruto's choice of code name. _Just because that's what my name _means_ doesn't mean everyone has to know,_ he thought with annoyance.

"Oooh!" The girl squealed in delight, her grin eyes pinching shut in joy and her long brown hair falling over her shoulder in waves. "So you're Guild-nin, too! And you have the same name as me! That's so cool!"

"Really?" the girl with the honey-colored hair turned from her spot by Shino. "So what's your name?" she asked Shino with a grin.

"Scarab." Shino forced out the word, completely embarrassed around these girls.

"Aww. I was hoping you'd be Bee, like me." The girl grinned, her honey-colored hair falling over her shoulder. "Wait a second!" she snapped her fingers in realization, and the bees flew off, startled. "Are you Daddy's pupils?"

The two boys sat with blank looks on their faces; at least, she thought Shino looked blank, but it was hard to tell with the glasses.

"Bee is Wasp's daughter," Butterfly filled in as she poured another glass of lemonade for Chouji. The boys nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, he's our leader for now," Chouji stammered, embarrassed and nervous around the girls.

"That's so cool!" Bee cheered, jumping up and grabbing Shino's cool hand. "Let's go train right now!" She started to drag Shino down the street.

With a sigh, Chouji started to get up. "Uwah, I don't wanna go train!" Butterfly said with an exaggerated pout. "I'm on vacation!"

Chouji grinned and sat back down. "Never mind," he smiled, and Butterfly poured another glass of lemonade.

*~~*

"Hi," TenTen mumbled back nervously, setting her food aside.

"No, don't stop eating. You saved my life today, please don't mind me." Blaze gave his stellar grin. TenTen flushed, but dug into her food with gusto.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" Blaze's friend asked suddenly, and Blaze frowned.

"Come on, Hail, leave the girl alone. She just saved my life, now's not the time to worry about that." Hail nodded an apology at TenTen, and she blushed.

"Would you please honor me with your name?" Blaze asked cheerfully. The man beside him grunted, and TenTen tried not to choke on her noodles.

"Te-Panda. I'm Panda." TenTen blushed. _I like Neji-san, _she though obstinately.

"So you _are _from Guild. But I don't remember you from the other night with Fox." Blaze looked at her curiously.

Blinking, TenTen tried to think what Naruto had done. She knew Kakashi had been angry with him the other night, but she couldn't remember what for.

"We went out drinking together," Blaze explained to the confused girl, "and he won, of course." Hail snorted.

"He always wins, idiot," Hail grunted, and his short white hair bounced. TenTen noticed that, while he was the same age as Blaze, Hail acted much, much older.

"Yes, but this time was different," Blaze informed them, his eyes dancing merrily. "This time," he paused, as though he were about to pass on profound information to his audience, "I passed out with my hand on Dust's breasts."

Hail snorted, and TenTen choked on her soba. Blaze roared with laughter.

"No, seriously," he turned to TenTen, "Fox is different than before. He's much more serious, and way stronger. And here you and your people come out of the blue with him. I'm impressed." TenTen flushed again, her hands shaking.

"Will you meet me here for lunch tomorrow?" Blaze asked suddenly, his eyes dancing. TenTen nodded dumbly, her flush fixed to her face. Blaze nodded, quickly wrote out a note on a napkin, and slid it across the table.

As TenTen grabbed the napkin, the two boys slid out of the booth, paid, and walked out. Paying quickly, TenTen rushed out after them, but they had already disappeared into the crowd.

With numb fingers, TenTen opened the napkin-note.

_I owe you my heart. Tomorrow: noon._

TenTen was so shocked that, during the entire walk back to the squad house, she completely forgot that her kunai was embedded deep within the wall of the restaurant.

*~~*

Sasuke felt let down and bored. He'd already searched most of the house, and he'd found nothing. Currently, he was at the last door of the East Wing. After this, only Naruto and Hinata's rooms and the North Wing would remain.

Pulling out his lock pick, Sasuke opened yet another locked door and walked inside. Sasuke felt himself smirk as he glanced around the room. Unlike the other rooms, which had contained little of interest and some old scrolls containing techniques he already knew, this room was filled with Naruto-related items.

Pictures were pinned all over the walls, and filled the albums that rested on the desk, the only piece of furniture in the room. Pulling out the lock pick, Sasuke began to open drawers, revealing more scrolls that he'd have to investigate later, more odd knickknacks, more photos, and some old weapons.

It was only with the last drawers that Sasuke met with resistance. As he slid the pick into the lock, he had to quickly withdraw his hand as the pick grew white-hot, melted, and re-solidified on the floor.

_Interesting. He locked it with chakra. This should be good._

Sasuke was so impressed with his evaluation of the situation that he failed to see the impossibility of his assessment.

Smoothly, he pulled out a second pick and a small explosive tag. Swiftly, he slid the pick into the lock, and tossed the tag on top as it glowed. A small explosion rocked the desk, and the drawer opened, the lock gone.

_Damn, _Sasuke thought, _he'll notice that._

Still, what he'd found was intriguing. Inside, sitting by itself, was a small, silver band. It looked like a bangle, noticed Sasuke, but it had blue lines and blobs running along its surface, and it hurt to hold it too long.

Wrapping the bracelet in a small, cotton cloth, Sasuke placed it in his pocket and resumed his scouring of Naruto's mansion.


	24. Chapter 24

*~~*

Moans echoed through Sparrow's living room from various angles. Slowly, Kiba rolled over, gingerly touching his head. He was convinced he had a concussion from slamming into the wall headfirst. Beside him, Akamaru whined in similar pain.

The jounin at the front of the room stood shakily, unsure what to do first. Should they check everyone's status, or just inform Kakashi of Naruto's change?

Neji sat broken on the steps, wondering how he could have misjudged Oriole so badly.

Suddenly, Sparrow walked back into the room, and everyone froze. The girl blushed horribly.

"I'm sorry," she announced. "I was having a bad dream, and I was startled." She pulled a kunai from her holster. "Oriole?"

The black-haired girl looked over, a smile on her face. "Yeah?"

"I'm gonna kill you for that!" Sparrow leapt across the room, and Oriole shrieked, dodging out of the way and running over to the stairs. At the stairway, she grabbed the stunned Hyuuga and dragged him up the stairs after her, knocking him roughly on step after step. After a few seconds, a door could be heard slamming, and Oriole and Neji were out of sight.

Sighing, Sparrow put her kunai away and walked over to the mess that was Fennec and Kakashi. Kakashi was moaning in pain, and Fennec was pink and paralyzed. Shaking her head and her short, chestnut hair, Sparrow reached down and pulled Fennec up and off the injured teacher.

"Poor bastard," Asuma muttered, and Kurenai nodded in agreement as they watched the man writhe around on the floor.

"I…I mean I…" Fennec faltered, completely pink and trembling gently. Sparrow sighed and looked down at the man writhing on her floor.

"You okay?" she looked at him gently with concern.

"My…b…my…b…" Kakashi was rasping out his words, and everyone blushed at what he was trying to say. Suddenly, the man shoved a hand into his pants and yanked. The ninja in the room jumped in surprise and flushed.

Kakashi's hand returned from his pants, holding something orange and bent. "My book!" he wailed, clutching it close to his heart and moaning. The jounin sweatdropped, Fennec dropped to her knees, laughing hysterically, and Kiba laughed raucously.

Sparrow flushed and her hands clenched. "You idiot! Why do you even keep it down there!"

"My book!" the jounin continued to wail. Sparrow shook her head in disgust and turned to deal with Kiba's injuries.

"Fecking idiot," she mumbled, helping Kiba up and walking him to her bedroom to rest. Akamaru followed behind, and she shut the door behind her after they entered the room.

Fennec still sat on the floor, though her hysterical laughs had ceased. Finally, the jounin sat up on the floor, and he put his book in his jacket pocket. With a serious look, he asked why the other jounin were there.

"You won't believe it my rival!" Gai called boisterously from across the room. "Something terrible has happened to your dear pupil!"

"What?" Kakashi looked at Gai with slight alarm. He couldn't imagine what could have happened to Sasuke.

"He's transformed! The fox!" Kurenai blurted, anxious to deliver her message. Kakashi froze. _Naruto_ was in trouble?

"What happened?" Kakashi rose from the floor, his serious demeanor back in place. Fennec looked up slowly as he passed her, still slightly dazed from the incident with the book.

"We don't know," Asuma ground out, a mixture of anger and worry on his face.

"That's how I saw him last," Kurenai informed the copy-nin. Kakashi nodded and gestured for them to lead him to his blonde pupil. Behind them, forgotten, sat Fennec. Suddenly it dawned on her that they were talking about Naruto. With deep-rooted ninja instincts, she kicked herself out of shock and prepared to follow them.

_Retriever-kun or not, _she thought with determination, _I gotta go help Fox._

*~~*

In her room, Sparrow was facing her own dilemmas.

Mainly, how she would ever be able to sleep in her own bed after this.

Currently, Kiba was sprawled across it with Akamaru at the foot of the bed. Sparrow stood staring, blush dancing across her cheeks.

"Sparrow?" Kiba asked for her as he stared up at the white ceiling.

"Ye-yeah?" Sparrow stuttered, completely distracted by the image that was burning itself into her brain.

"Can you help me get home?" Kiba attempted to raise his arm in demonstration. It rose several inches off her purple comforter before falling like a stone. Kiba grimaced. Sparrow sweatdropped.

"You can stay here," the words left her mouth before she realized what she was saying. Now she _knew_ she would never fall asleep in her own bed again.

"Cool," Kiba drawled, his eyes closing. Snores cascaded from his mouth, and the blue hood of his jacket fell over his eyes. In disbelief, Sparrow settled on a chair in the corner and stared.

After several minutes, the giddiness in her chest overwhelmed her, and she fell into an exhausted sleep.

*~~*

Upstairs, Oriole was laughing riotously as Neji gingerly checked his head for lumps.

"Boom!" Oriole cackled, rubbing her hands as a mock gesture of evil. Neji stared.

"What?" the Guild-nin turned to the disgruntled Hyuuga. "What's wrong?"

Neji sat quietly, unsure what to say. Finally, he managed, "Why did you set a bomb?"

"I like things that go boom," Oriole explained slowly, as though Neji were five. "Bombs go boom." Neji stared. In contemplation, he looked around Oriole's room, where he had just been dragged. Posters and drawings were pasted to the wall, and bomb equipment littered a desk on the far wall.

"I see," Neji said slowly in reply. Oriole giggled.

"You don't like bombs?" she asked giddily, flopping onto the bed next to him. Neji yelped in an undignified way when he bounced off the bed and fell onto the floor.

He couldn't help thinking that it just wasn't his day.

"Not exactly," Neji managed, resisting the urge to rub his sore butt. He _would not_ give this girl more blackmail material.

"Show me your room!" Oriole said suddenly, jumping up and running down the hall. Neji felt compelled to follow her; really, he didn't see any other choice. With a weary sigh, he pushed open his door.

Oriole stepped into a room like a child steps into a candy store. Eagerly she looked around the room.

The bed was made properly, its white comforter sitting perfectly on top of white sheets and white pillows. Each inch of the room was scrubbed clean of dust. Nothing rested on either his nightstand or his dresser. The closet was shut, and she could just barely see a second pair of sandals peeking out from under his bed.

"Wow, it really did give you OCD," she mumbled, blinking widely. Neji sweatdropped.

"I do not have OCD," he informed her icily, crossing his arms and walking over to lean on the far wall. Neji sighed as he felt his confidence return. Here, in an orderly place, he could think more clearly.

Sighing, Oriole walked over to the closet, her hair bouncing with each step. Impatiently, she reached out and yanked on the closet handle. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Neji reaching out to stop her. In a last-ditch effort, she pulled with all her might and jumped out of Neji's reach.

The closet door slid open, and a mountain of dirty clothes rained out. Pants and shirts littered the floor. A pair of green boxers floated down from the top of the pile and landed on Neji's head.

Oriole couldn't resist. She really couldn't.

Laughter split the room, and Neji went red under his boxers. As he yanked them off his head in horror, he could see a flushed Oriole biting her lip, shaking with laughter, and pointing at him accusingly.

"You faker!" she screamed. "You're not a neat-freak! You're a closet slob!" She fell to the floor in a fit of giggles. Outraged, Neji threw his boxers at her, smacking her in the face. Under the boxers, Oriole screamed in indignity before jumping up, boxers in hand, and running from the room.

Suddenly, Neji realized his fatal mistake. He ran out of his room and down the hall in time to see her door slam.

"Give me- give me those back!" Neji yelled in outrage. What was wrong with him? Throwing his _boxers_ at _her_. A giggling reverberated from the room, and Neji trudged to his room in defeat.

Either she'd give them back, or he'd die of embarrassment. There was nothing he could do to defend against her wiles.

Exhausted, he flopped onto his bed in defeat and slept.

*~~*

Sasuke had officially checked the entire house, except for Naruto's room. It, like the drawer, was locked with chakra. This time, however, Sasuke's invasion would have been obvious.

So, despite his _obsessive_ curiosity, Sasuke left Naruto's room alone.

At the moment, he was sitting on one of Naruto's large couches in the living room, inspecting the bangle he'd found in the chakra-locked door.

The bracelet was as wide as his little finger, and hung slightly over his wrist, though it was Hell getting it over his wide hands. The blue swirls and blobs were shimmering gently, and the silver shined in the light.

On the downside, wearing the piece hurt like Hell. Just touching the silver bangle made Sasuke's fingers numb and his arms tingle. Whatever it was, it was a serious piece of equipment.

For the life of him, Sasuke couldn't figure out what the damn thing was supposed to do.

He'd managed to figure out how it was worn, obviously; it was definitely a bracelet of some sort. Yet, as he wore it, he couldn't see what the piece was made to do, other than shake your arms into nervous wrecks.

Pulling out a kunai, Sasuke gently prodded the piece.

*~~*


	25. Chapter 25

*~~*

Kakashi and the other jounin entered Tigerdragon's mansion at top speed. The copy-nin was determined to get this resolved, _now_.

Behind them, Fennec followed warily. While she was fully aware of Kakashi's smexiness, she was conscious of their deadly skill as well.

Finally, the jounin arrived at Tigerdragon's throne room and knocked heavily at the door.

*~~*

Naruto whistled contentedly as he walked down the hallway, Hinata trailing behind him. Ever since he'd woken her back up, she'd been even more taciturn, not even blushing or stuttering in his direction.

Still, Naruto had gotten his missions approved, and he was carrying the fifteen-plus scrolls in his pack right now.

Down the hall, a flash of color caught his eye. Curious, he turned down the hallway to the left, and saw Squirrel and Lee ducking into the infirmary. Farther down the hallway, Sakura and Husky were walking toward the infirmary, Sakura looking like Hell.

The kunoichi's hair was sticking out in all directions, her legs looked swollen from the weights, and her arms were covered in bruises. Naruto opened his mouth in askance, and Sakura withered him with a glare.

"Don't…you…dare…" she hissed, cutting in front of him and sliding into the infirmary. Worried, Naruto stepped into the infirmary, Hinata behind him.

The two young nurses, one with long, white hair, and the other with short, black hair, ran around the room in a hurry.

On one bed sat Lee, his shirt ripped completely open in the back. Next to him sat an anxious Squirrel, three children crowding around her lap and staring worriedly at Lee.

On the other bed sat Sakura, death in her eyes. Husky sat on the visitor's stool nearby.

Struck by the nurses' plight and her helpful soul, Hinata acted without thinking, removing her healing cream from her pocket and walking over to Sakura. Gently she spread on the girl's bruises. Behind her, the nurse with the black hair smiled and moved to help her fix Sakura.

On the other side of the room, the white-haired girl began the painful process of removing sharp debris from Lee's wound. When the long, sharp piece of sheeting was removed from his shoulder, Lee slumped gently in relief.

Seeing Lee's as a greater plight, Naruto walked over to the older, injured boy.

"You okay?" Naruto asked with concern. "What happened?"

"Information leak," Squirrel informed him. "They knew we were coming. They told us where to go, so that they could eliminate us. They had kids trapped in the building, and he saved them."

For the first time, Naruto looked down at the children. One girl and two boys. The girl had long, curly blonde hair, and the two boys were twins, and their short, black hair shined brightly in the light.

"Uh, oh. We'd better get them home, soon." Naruto looked over at the white-haired nurse.

"Hey, Dolphin. Fuzzy gonna be okay?"

Dolphin pulled a face. "He'll need a few days to recover, but he should be fine. The wound wasn't superficial, but it didn't harm anything major. Mostly, it just broke skin and stuck deep."

Naruto turned to the black-haired nurse. "Puma?"

"She'll be fine. She's just exhausted. Bed rest tomorrow, and let her relax at the festival in two days. She'll be fine." The girl gave Hinata a grateful pat on the back and turned back to her clipboard.

"Festival?" Sakura and Hinata echoed. Lee looked up in askance as Dolphin put a poultice on his wound and dressed it.

"Yeah, two days from now, there's a festival," Naruto explained. "We'll set it all up tomorrow, and we celebrate the day after."

"What festival is it?" Lee asked from his cot. Squirrel and the children were beaming at the recovered boy.

"The Zodiac Festival," Dolphin informed him as she cut the bandage and made sure it was secure. "We only hold it here in the Guild section."

"We dress up like animals, and at the end, we celebrate our leaders, past, present, and future," Puma added.

"I didn't tell you guys, yet, did I?" Naruto asked sheepishly. Sakura sent him a second withering glare as Lee and Hinata shook their heads. "Oops. I'll tell everyone tomorrow. But first," he turned to the children, "these three have to get home, now. Their parents will be worried."

Gently, Naruto coaxed the three off Lee's cot, and Lee promised he'd visit them soon. The children nodded and followed Naruto out the door.

Inside the infirmary, Sakura was groaning. "I can't even do a basic check-up, now," she complained, "without it taking twice as long. I miss my chakra. At least if I'd had more practice doing things normally, I wouldn't feel so bad."

"We could teach you," Dolphin offered as she sent Lee and Squirrel back home.

"Yeah, we've got time," Puma agreed.

"You should accept their offer," Husky told Sakura sternly. "They're Tigerdragon-sama's daughters. They know what they're doing." Sakura gaped. The girls tittered.

"You could come practice after training," Dolphin gestured at Husky. Sakura nodded dumbly and left, promising to return for practice. Splitting with Husky at the door, she headed back to her room across from Ino's, hoping she would be able to get some sleep.

*~~*

The jounin were admitted into Tigerdragon's room quickly, and Kakashi quickly approached the dais. The leader of Guild, the only man present, gave a devilish smile.

"Where is he?" Kakashi demanded.

"Who?" Tigerdragon's smile widened.

"Naruto," Kakashi answered. Tigerdragon frowned.

"You should address your betters with more respect," Tigerdragon said with disapproval.

"Tigerdragon-sama," Kurenai pleaded, "please tell us where Naruto is." At that moment, Fennec entered the room, but the jounin didn't notice.

"He's at home, resting. He hasn't got any sleep today, I imagine." The leader chuckled.

"What about the demon?" Kakashi asked, wondering how the leader would answer.

"He's already taken care of it, I assure you. He has a device that works wonders for his little problem," Tigerdragon chuckled again. The jounin frowned.

"What do you mean, sir?" Gai asked.

"He has a device that allows him to suppress the fox," Tigerdragon told them. "We made it specially for him."

"This happened before?" Asuma was surprised and angry.

"Several times. It is not worth your concern. Fennec, please see them out." The jounin turned in surprise. Fennec bowed and led them out, locking the door behind her. The jounin stood silently, contemplating their choices.

"There is nothing we can do today," Gai tried to speak sense to his rival. "Talk to him about it tomorrow." Kakashi nodded and stared at Fennec.

"Did you know about this?" he asked the girl. She nodded seriously, her arms folded, as she rested against the far wall.

"We've known for a long time. Since he was little. He's got it under control," unsure of what else to say, Fennec walked away, heading back home to get some sleep.

In her head, she was chiding herself. She'd wasted a lot of the day, and she hadn't gotten to tease loser-sama or go on a mission.

This crush stuff was really gonna cut in on her fun.

The jounin sighed as the violent girl walked away. "Should we just go back home?" Asuma suggested. Kurenai nodded wearily, and the two walked away, Gai and Kakashi behind them.

*~~*

Hinata smiled from behind Naruto as he led the three children home. At the first house, he deposited the little girl into her mother's loving arms. The woman shrieked in delight, thanking Naruto a hundred different ways.

At the second house, Naruto was beaten to the door by the two incorrigible children.

"Momma, Momma!" they cheered. A woman answered the door, and her husband followed her out.

The woman had long, black hair, and round, black eyes. With a cry of joy, she scooped up the two boys. The man behind her grinned widely.

"Oh, Roku Deshi, Roku Keshi! Where have you two been?! You worried your mother out of her wits!" the woman smiled brightly, her teeth glistening in the sun. The woman, Naruto noticed, had very large muscles.

"Thank you, so much! You have rescued my children in the prime of their youth! Please, allow me to thank you!" the woman reached out and gave Naruto an enormous squeeze. Hinata giggled gently in the background.

_Yep, big muscles,_ Naruto thought queasily. Faintly, Naruto realized that she reminded him of someone.

Suddenly, the children joined her in the bone-crushing hug, and Naruto's thoughts fled in fear.

*~~*


	26. Chapter 26

*~~*

Sasuke writhed slightly in pain. The bangle on his wrist was throbbing with more and more energy each moment, and the Uchiha couldn't feel his shoulders anymore, either.

With each passing moment, more of his body succumbed to the bracelet's power. Determined to analyze the piece, Sasuke fought the pain and the numbness. Suddenly, a wave of mind-crushing pain washed over him, and Sasuke screamed.

Naruto rushed in the door, startled by Sasuke's scream. Behind him, Hinata gasped. When Naruto stopped suddenly in front of her, she collided into his back, toppling onto the floor.

Still, Naruto stood frozen, an ill and angry look on his face. With the demonic influence running through his system, Naruto looked savage and fierce.

Sasuke was writhing vigorously on the couch, tearing at the bracelet in an attempt to remove it. The thing had shrunk, and he couldn't take it off.

"Don't just stand there, dobe, help me get it off," Sasuke said calmly, though his hand was still ripping at the bangle. The rapidly shrinking bracelet was much more important than Naruto's altered, demonic looks at the moment.

"Idiot," Naruto snapped. "You shouldn't touch things that don't belong to you, teme." Angrily he stepped forward, and he flicked one of the shimmering blobs on the bracelet. Just as quickly as it had shrunk, it expanded, easily sliding over Sasuke's hand and falling into Naruto's.

"Vixen-chan," Naruto said quietly, "take these upstairs for me." He handed her his pack of scrolls, and she jumped off the floor and carried them up the stairs at a run, eager to be away from the clashing ninja.

"Idiot," Naruto repeated. "You could have been killed." Angrily, he jammed the bracelet on his right arm, and it shrunk instantly to fit his wrist comfortably. Sasuke stared, a glare painted on his face.

"You think I'm kidding?!" Naruto snapped, waving the bracelet in Sasuke's face. "This thing was made for _me_! It only responds to _me_! It would have taken your hand off, and probably paralyzed your arm! You fucking _idiot_!" As Sasuke's eyes widened a fraction in realization, Naruto sighed and rubbed his face in exhaustion. The wide, deep whisker marks stretched as his hand rubbed his cheeks, and his slitted eyes flashed in anger at the Uchiha.

"Never fucking mind. Just go to bed." Naruto slammed his front door, locked it, and jogged up the stairs. Sasuke watched him go with a detached interest.

His arms were still numb, and his hand and wrist hurt like Hell.

Blankly, he rose, walked upstairs, and waited at the bathroom door. As he waited, he could hear a crunching sound. Curious, he watched the door, waiting for its occupant to exit.

After several minutes, Naruto emerged. The blonde's hair had returned to its normal, spiky appearance, his eyes had returned to normal, and his whisker marks, fangs, and claws had shrunk. Startled, Sasuke stepped back. Naruto brushed past him, still tense with anger and fear for his teammate, and stalked to his room, where he slammed the door.

Still dazed, Sasuke walked into the bathroom and froze. Shards of glass littered the floor, and a punch mark was embedded in the bathroom vanity. Bits of porcelain rested with the glass, and the remainder of the sink was riddled with cracks.

Quickly, Sasuke used the bathroom and headed to bed. He would have to see Kakashi about Naruto tomorrow.

As he slid into bed, Sasuke noticed that his wrist was extremely red, and felt as though it had been scalded or burned. He wrapped it gingerly in some extra bandages from his kunai holster, and rolled over to go to sleep.

In the next room, he could hear crashes and curses. Naruto was angry, and he was taking it out on his room. Again, Sasuke rubbed the burn mark on his wrist. Naruto had saved him again, and Sasuke couldn't help feeling worthless.

*~~*

The next morning, when Sasuke woke, Hinata and Naruto were gone and the bathroom was locked tight.

Sighing, Sasuke retreated to a different wing of the house, preparing for the day. When he had eaten breakfast, he walked to the squad house where the jounin-sensei were supposed to be.

When he arrived, Sasuke knocked heavily on the door. After several moments, it swung open to reveal Gai. Sasuke felt his eyes burn.

Gai was scantily clothed, decked only in boxers that were such a garish green that it made his spandex suit seem tame. The man was wriggling back and forth in an attempt to stretch stiff muscles, but to Sasuke, it looked like the jounin was trying to belly dance.

As Sasuke flinched, Gai stepped aside and let the Uchiha in. Fortunately, Gai headed back to his room. Unfortunately, a fully dressed Kakashi came from the opposite direction at the same moment, and got an eye-full of Gai.

As Kakashi contemplated bleaching his eye to destroy the horror that kept replaying before him, he sat and asked Sasuke what was wrong. At the moment, the jounin had forgotten about Naruto and didn't realize that Sasuke was living in Naruto's mansion.

Quickly, Sasuke explained what had happened the night before, and how Naruto's appearance had changed back once he'd put on the bracelet. Kakashi frowned, and the two rose to find Naruto.

*~~*


	27. Chapter 27

*~~*

TenTen paced nervously around her room. It was only nine o'clock. She still had three hours before she had to meet Blaze at the restaurant. Suddenly, there was a knock at her door. TenTen turned and opened it to admit Chouji, Shino, Naruto, and Hinata.

"Um, hi?" TenTen was confused. What did they want?

"So, uh, I forgot to tell you all about the festival coming up," Naruto grinned sheepishly. Chouji, Shino, and TenTen frowned.

"What festival?" TenTen huffed, wondering if this would cut into her time with Blaze.

"It's called the Zodiac Festival," Naruto explained. "I need you guys to go get some yukata and some masks. You'll have to go pick up your masks specially, though. Here's the address," he handed Shino a paper with the address written on it.

"What does the festival celebrate?" Chouji asked.

"The Guild. Everyone dresses up and eats and plays games. It's tomorrow." Naruto grinned. Chouji's mouth watered at the word _food_. TenTen and Shino nodded in understanding.

"Okay, well I gotta go tell everybody else. See you all later!" Naruto waved goodbye and headed off.

*~~*

Naruto sighed as he walked down the street. He'd told almost everyone, but he couldn't find the jounin-sensei, Neji, Kiba or Sasuke.

He wasn't sure he wanted to find Sasuke, after the night before.

Inside, Naruto was still very, very angry. His friend had almost been hurt by something that he needed to keep the fox in check. Sasuke's injury would have been his fault!

Still, Naruto knew he couldn't dwell on those things. He had more important matters. So, to take his mind off, he turned the next corner and headed to Sparrow's. Interesting things were always happening there.

*~~*

Naruto didn't realize how right he was. At the moment, Sparrow was brandishing a batter-covered spoon at Neji, while Kiba, Fennec, Wolf, and Oriole laughed raucously at the kitchen table.

"What do you mean, you don't like pancakes?" she yelled at the Hyuuga, waving the spoon back and forth. Bits of batter flew off and landed with splatting noises on the floor, Neji's shirt, and Akamaru's fur.

It was at this moment that Naruto let himself in, Hinata behind him.

Neji, unsure how to react and worried about the batter stains, froze.

"Well?" she yelled, still holding the spoon. "I'm not making anything else. You can eat this or you can starve." With the last vestiges of her anger, she threw the spoon, though the Hyuuga managed to dodge. Akamaru rose and trotted over to where it clattered on the floor and began lapping up the batter.

Sparrow smiled. "Good dog," she cooed, petting the oversized canine. Neji, forgotten, trudged back to his seat to glare at the evil pancakes before him.

"Don't coddle him!" Kiba cried out, rising from his chair. Naruto and Hinata entered the room. The others waved a hello, and the two sat. Kiba crossed the room and pulled Akamaru away from the batter spoon, though it had already been licked clean.

"I'm not coddling him!" Sparrow screeched, an indignant look on her face. "He's just cute!" Kiba looked outraged.

"Akamaru is not cute!" he roared. Akamaru barked loudly and waved his tail adorably. The ninja at the table laughed. "What?!" Kiba turned to Akamaru in reproach. "You are _not_ cute, Akamaru!"

The dog whined gently and hid under the table, knocking over Kiba's empty chair and tipping Neji out of his seat. Kiba groaned.

"Come on, now, Akamaru. That's not what I meant, and you know it!" Kiba groaned, throwing his hands in the air and setting his chair back up. Sparrow, thoroughly affronted, slammed the front door as she left.

"Uh-oh," Fennec chimed. "You pissed her off." Kiba frowned but said nothing.

"You didn't have to get so upset," Oriole chided. "She just likes Akamaru, sheesh." Still, Kiba didn't say a word.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, Naruto decided to spring the news on them.

"So, do you guys know about the festival?" the question was aimed at Neji and Kiba, who shook their heads.

"Well, it's tomorrow, and you need yukata and masks. These guys can take you to get your masks." Naruto gestured at Fennec, Wolf, and Oriole, who nodded.

As the two guys stared, Naruto grinned sheepishly, rose, and headed off with Hinata again, hoping to find Sasuke and the jounin sensei.

*~~*

"Stupid, fecking Kiba," Sparrow muttered as she stalked down the street. What did the dog-breath know, anyway? Angrily, she turned the corner onto the market street, and stopped in surprise.

Rows and rows of vendors crowded the street, selling yukata and setting up for the festival. Distantly, she realized she had forgotten about it. With a wide grin on her face, she delved into the first stall, searching for the perfect yukata.

She was determined to knock that dog off his paws.

*~~*

Oriole, Fennec, Wolf, Kiba, and Neji were walking down the opposite end of the market street. They were also looking for yukata, though they intended to stop in for masks, first.

At the corner of the market street, a large building loomed, made of fine wood with a large window at the front. The five ninja entered, setting off the bell at the top of the door. An old man popped up behind the counter and smiled.

"And what can I do for you?" he asked cheerfully as he polished a mask with a small cloth.

"We need our masks for the festival. Are they ready?" Wolf asked as the other four looked around. The two guys had never seen such exquisite masks as the ones that hung around the shop, and the girls loved to shop.

"Names?" the man asked expertly, setting aside the mask and pulling out a checklist on a clipboard.

"Wolf, Oriole, Sparrow," Wolf paused as he tried to remember the guys' names, "Shepherd, Falcon." The man nodded as he checked off each name, though he paused for a moment near the end.

"Black Wolf or Grey?" he asked, his pen hovering over the checklist.

"Black," Wolf replied, remembering that Sasuke now held the title of Wolf as well. Again, the man nodded, disappearing into the back. After a few moments, he returned, wooden masks in hand. All of the festival masks for Guild members were carved of the finest wood. Other people had to wear paper or bamboo masks.

"Here you are," he said cheerfully, handing them their masks. Kiba and Neji stared; the others were accustomed to the finery.

"Wow, Gii-san, these are even better than last year's," Oriole complimented as she unwrapped the cloth around her mask.

Oriole's mask was a shining silver, etched with ebony lines in the shape of a bird's face. A small beak protruded from the mask. Two rounded eyeholes were left in the mask, and she knew it would fit her face perfectly. After a moment, she wrapped it back in its cloth.

Beside her, Fennec unwrapped her own mask. Her mask was similar to Oriole's in face shape, but its nose protruded in a more rounded shape, resembling a fox's nose, and long, fennec ears rose from the top of the piece. Her mask was a shimmery bronze, like the fur of a fennec, and was etched with copper-colored lines. The eyeholes of her mask were more pointed than Oriole's, and made her contrasting eyes stand out.

Wolf's mask, the four ninja noticed, was equally exquisite. It was a silvery color similar to Oriole's, though it looked burnished, like old silver. The lines were also ebony, but a deeper, older-looking black than Oriole's. The nose pointed out like Fennec's, but was shaped like a wolf's muzzle. Small, pointed ears sat on the top of the mask, and the eyeholes were pointed slightly. Wolf re-wrapped his mask.

Curious, Neji and Kiba unwrapped their masks.

Neji's mask was white, almost porcelain in color, and looked similar to an anbu mask. It had a small, protruding beak similar to Oriole's, and slitted, pointed eyeholes. Swirling navy lines limned the mask, accentuating its features.

Kiba's mask was also white, and was shaped like a dog. Small, pointed ears rested on the top of his mask, too. A small muzzle pointed out of the mask, and red lines swirled around the cheeks, reminding him of his markings. His eyeholes were also pointed, though not as severely as the other's eyeholes were.

As Neji looked at his mask in contemplation, Kiba found himself lifting it from the cloth and setting it to his face.

"No!" Fennec snatched the mask from Kiba's hand, seconds before it reached his face.

"Idiot!" Oriole echoed, gripping her mask tightly. "It's bad luck to put the mask on before the festival!"

Kiba blushed sheepishly and apologized, and the five headed out to find some yukata.

*~~*

Down the street, Sparrow was certain she'd found the perfect yukata. With a cry of victory, she purchased it and skipped into the street. There, she encountered Naruto and Hinata.

"Oh, hey Sparrow," Naruto said distractedly. "I still have to find the others; could you take her shopping without me?" Naruto pointed to Hinata. Sparrow nodded enthusiastically, and Naruto left, searching for the jounin and Sasuke.

"You'll really like this festival," Sparrow giggled, guiding Hinata to the next yukata stand. "It's really fun." Hinata nodded as they began sifting through the yukata.

*~~*


	28. Chapter 28

*~~*

TenTen shifted nervously from foot to foot as she waited for Blaze in front of the restaurant. There were three minutes till noon.

"Panda-chan!" she heard a boisterous voice call from across the square. Startled, TenTen jumped and spun, seeing Blaze running toward her.

"Panda-chan!" he laughed. "You came!" TenTen nodded, embarrassed.

"Come on, come on," he dragged her through the door of the restaurant. "Let's go eat."

At the table, TenTen was unsure what to say.

"So, Panda-chan, what's up?" Blaze asked as he dug into his gyoza.

"Nothing. We're preparing for a festival," TenTen said before she thought. Instantly her hands flew to her mouth; she was fraternizing with the enemy!

Blaze laughed. "Yeah, the Zodiac Festival. We know; Fox told us a long time ago. Don't worry about it." TenTen sighed in relief.

"So, tell me about yourself," Blaze grinned. TenTen blushed again; this guy was just so forward!

"Um, what, exactly?" TenTen asked to stall.

"Your bra size?" Blaze asked hopefully. Obviously, he was teasing her for her shyness, but she didn't take it that way.

Instead, TenTen spluttered in surprise. "You bastard!" Unthinkingly, TenTen grabbed her plate of food and smashed it into his face before jumping up and walking out, blush painted across her cheeks.

Under the layer of food, Blaze chuckled lightly. "So she's got a temper too, huh?"

*~~*

Hinata actually felt she was enjoying herself. Here, she was talking brightly with Sparrow, and they had both found really nice yukata for the festival. Unknowingly, the two passed right by Fennec's group and headed into the mask shop.

"Names?" Gii-san called from behind the counter, clipboard ready.

"Sparrow, Vixen." Sparrow answered expertly, and the two girls glanced around at the wonderful things in the old man's shop as he disappeared into the back. Not only did he make masks for festivals, he also designed many of the wonderful accessories that many ninja wore.

Gii-san reappeared, and he handed them the masks.

Sparrow unwrapped her mask and blushed. _Perfect,_ she thought. It matched her yukata wonderfully. Her mask was a rich ebony, richer and deeper than the etchings on Wolf's and Oriole's masks, and an equally rich violet limned the mask, swirling around the face. The eyeholes were rounded off, and she knew the mask would fit comfortably. In awe, she turned and had Hinata open her mask.

Hinata's mask was the most exquisite Sparrow had ever seen, excepting those of the four commanders, Naruto, and Tigerdragon.

Hinata's mask was a luminescent ivory, which shimmered in various colors in the light. The color reminded Sparrow of the inside of a seashell. The mask itself was shaped like Naruto's would be, in the image of a fox with pointed eyes, pointed ears, and a mischievous grin. Hinata's mask, however, was a more feminine version of Naruto's. Long, ebony whiskers lined the mask, the only markings on the entire piece.

"Wow, Vixen," Sparrow whistled. "That's one impressive mask. Just don't put it on before the festival, okay? It's bad luck." Hinata nodded, and the two exited the store.

*~~*

Exasperated, Naruto tried the squad house, wondering if the jounin sensei would be inside. To his utter surprise, Kurenai answered the door and flinched.

"Um, please come in," she stuttered, opening the door and leading him to the couch, where the other jounin and Sasuke were sitting.

As Naruto sat down, he could feel the crushing weight of the jounin's stares. After several long, silent moments, Sasuke began to unwind his bandage.

"This is what his device did to me," he explained, showing each of the jounin the painful-looking burn.

"What was it supposed to do?" Kakashi asked, turning to Naruto with accusing eyes. Naruto sat quietly, spinning the bracelet around his wrist.

"It helps suppress the fox," he told the jounin, who breathed a sigh of relief. "It doesn't do it all by itself, though," Naruto began, attempting to look each of them in the eye. "I can suppress the fox by myself, but it's easier with this. It gives me chakra to push back _its_ chakra, so it's easier."

"So, you're saying you can do this on your own?" Asuma asked after a moment. Naruto nodded.

"Are you sure?" Gai asked curiously. "And the bracelet just helps you?" Again, Naruto nodded.

"How?" Kakashi asked, wanting to understand the situation entirely. Sasuke began to rewrap his wound, Naruto stopped him.

"This," Naruto explained, showing them the wound again, "is what happens when anyone else wears my bracelet." The jounin nodded slowly, understanding so far.

"This thing," Naruto waved the bracelet gently in the air, pointing to the blue strands and blobs that shimmered gently, "holds my chakra in it. It holds the exact amount that the machine deep underground blocks, and it takes the place of the chakra in my system, so that I don't lose it. That's what's happening to everybody. You lose the set amount of chakra in your systems, and you can't use it. But this holds that amount, so I don't lose any." The jounin looked at the device in awe.

"Then why don't you all have one?" Kakashi asked curiously.

"They only had the technology to build this one. And I only get it because it helps suppress the fox's chakra. With this, I don't have to use the fox's chakra, I can use mine."

"You can use chakra?" Kurenai asked, surprised. Naruto nodded.

"But this thing's full of chakra, and it's pure chakra and technology. And it's not just my chakra, it's the fox's, too. When anyone else puts it on, they can't filter it right, and it hurts and the bracelet gets smaller. Teme could have lost his hand and his chakra forever." Naruto gave Sasuke a glare. Kakashi stared thoughtfully at his students and nodded.

"Do you have it under control, or do we need to take you back?" Kakashi turned to Naruto, asking about the fox. Naruto grimaced in anger.

"It's fine. I was in a bind the other night and needed some chakra. I just didn't have this on me, that's all," Naruto shook the bracelet for emphasis. "If you don't believe me, send for Ero-sennin; he'll tell you I'm fine."

"That won't be necessary; you look fine," Kakashi assured the blonde. Naruto rose and stopped before he got to the door.

"I almost forgot!" he said cheerfully, angsty moment forgotten, "There's a festival tomorrow. You guys need to get some yukata and your masks!"

The four jounin and Sasuke looked at the blonde as though he were mental.

"I'm serious!" Naruto said, grin on his face. "Either you do it, or I'll do it. Either way, you're coming!" The five ninja grimaced and rose, ready to go get their clothes.

"Here's the address for the mask shop; don't forget to get your masks, and don't wear them till the festival; it's bad luck." With a grin, Naruto exited, wondering briefly if he had time for lunch before he had to do his own shopping.

"You go on ahead," Kakashi told the others after he had looked at the address. "I'll be right there." The four nodded and left, and the copy-nin walked into his room, where he pulled out a scroll and a pen.

_Hokage-sama, there has been a development. Please send for Jiraiya-sama right away._

*~~*


	29. Chapter 29

*~~*

It was late in the day, and the yukata stalls were closing down, their places being taken by the game stalls and food vendors for the next day. Banners and decorations lined the streets, and Naruto had arrived just in time to pick up his specially made and ordered clothes for the festival.

With a sigh, Naruto walked into the mask shop.

"There you are," Gii-san said with a smile. "You always wait till the last moment to pick up your things." The old man disappeared into the back.

After a moment, the man returned and handed Naruto three masks, wrapped in fine cloth.

"You gonna open those, or you gonna make me wait to see your surprise?" Gii-san asked, mischief in his eyes.

"I'll wait, Gii-san." Naruto gave him a half-hearted smile. "I want to be surprised tomorrow. Today wasn't that great." The old man nodded in understanding and shut the door behind the blonde as he left, locking it.

"Wait till he sees 'em," the old man laughed, swaggering back to his work.

On his way home, Naruto made sure to drop off several things at the main festival stage in front of Tigerdragon's mansion.

*~~*

The next morning was the day of the big festival. Naruto woke with excitement, throwing on his yukata and his mask.

His yukata was loose on him, with long sleeves that hid his hands. Dimly, he thought of Itachi's cloak, but brushed the thought aside.

Naruto's yukata was a deep blue, with bright gold flames dancing across the sleeves and hem. His sash was gold, and his fox earring matched perfectly. His special bracelet hung on his right hand. Brushing the wrinkles out of his yukata, Naruto reached down and pulled on his mask. The mask was a molten gold, which seemed to emanate light. The eyes and ears were pointed, and jet whiskers were embossed onto the piece, rather than etched in. A mischievous smile lined the mask's lips.

With an impish grin of his own, Naruto donned the mask and walked downstairs.

Downstairs, Hinata and Sasuke were waiting.

Sasuke wore a mask similar to Wolf's in shape, but Sasuke's was white, and had silver swirls rather than black. Sasuke's silver wolf pendant, the mark of his association with Guild, hung from white, wooden beads around his neck. Sasuke's yukata, the incarnation of simplicity, was silver with white stitching in the shape of snow.

Instantly, Sasuke saw the mirth in Naruto's eyes and growled. "Not a word, dobe," he warned. "I didn't pick it out."

Hinata, however, looked like a goddess. Her seashell-colored mask danced with a new color every moment, and her nearly colorless, light purple eyes added to the illusion of a pure, heavenly maiden descended upon earth. Her silver fox pendant hung from one ear. Her yukata was made of light purple silk, decorated with black, hauntingly beautiful flowers, and hung tightly to her frame.

Hinata's black hair was twisted up in a bun. Several strips of hair hung off at angles from the bun, and two ivory picks held the bun in place. In her hand, Hinata held a small fan made of black bamboo, and the paper depicted a black night, silver stars, and a silver full moon.

For a moment, Naruto stood stunned, unable to breathe or think.

"Fox-kun?" Hinata asked with a trembling voice, unsure about her outfit and embarrassed by the look in Naruto's eyes. _She _hadn't picked the outfit or the mask; it had all been Sparrow and Gii-san.

"You look…pretty…Vixen-chan," Naruto managed to stutter, hoping his mask concealed his blush. Sasuke stared, and Hinata swayed on her feet.

"Thank you," the girl whispered, blush rising to her face. She knew she was barely standing, but it surprised her when Naruto walked over and held her up. Still flushed, she walked with him out the door, Sasuke following behind, gaping wildly.

*~~*

At Sparrow's squad house, things were hectic. Her teammates were hidden deep in their rooms, fixing their hair and squeezing themselves into yukata that were just barely too small.

Sparrow sighed; her girls were hopeless romantics.

Still, she was just as bad. She spun gently in front of the mirror in her room, trying to keep her gaze off her bed. She was still thinking of Kiba, and how he'd insulted her.

With a sigh, she gave her hair one last adjustment and walked into the kitchen, where Neji sat alone at the table, staring fearfully at the ceiling. Sparrow grinned; he was concerned about the insanity upstairs. It was at times like these that Sparrow was glad she had the only downstairs bedroom.

"Nice," Sparrow commented as she looked hard at Neji. He certainly seemed more refined than he had over the last few days, running around in boxers and losing it at the smallest embarrassment.

Neji had on his white mask, and a dark blue yukata with a white, swirling pattern. His white-purple eyes made the mask disorienting, since it was difficult to tell where the mask ended and his eyes began. Neji's black falcon symbol clasped the back of his hair, over the tie. He hadn't been sure where else he could put the thing.

Neji nodded thanks to Sparrow, and Oriole bounded down the stairs.

"Careful!" Sparrow called when she heard a thunking noise. "You'll tear your yukata!"

"I'm okay!" Oriole called from the stairwell. As she entered the kitchen, Neji forgot to breathe.

Oriole's silver and ebony mask fit her face perfectly, and her black hair made the black lines stand out sharply. Her bird-shaped hairclip pulled her hair over on the right side of her face. Oriole's hazel-green eyes peered at him from the rounded eyeholes, giving her a wise, penetrating look. Her yukata was black, and silver roses with hazel-green leaves lined the sleeves and hem. In her hands was a black, lacquer fan with a silver rose pattern inside.

As the two stared at each other, Sparrow shook her head and walked to the door. She knew Fennec would arrive any second.

On cue, a loud knocking resonated from the door. Oriole tore her eyes off Neji and bounded over to the doorway with Sparrow.

There, in the doorway, was Fennec. She stood in her everyday assortment of fishnet and cloth, her dusky-colored mask on her face.

"Oh, no you don't," Sparrow grabbed Fennec, hauling her into her room. "You're dressing up this year, and that's final!"

"You can't make me!" Fennec cried, tossing Sparrow off and making a break for the door out of Sparrow's room. There stood Oriole, dressed brightly, bomb in hand.

"I don't have a yukata!" Fennec tried, backing away from where Oriole fiddled idly with the bomb.

"We bought one," Sparrow grinned evilly from behind her mask, and her eyes danced with devilish delight.

Fennec looked back and forth between her two friends and knew she was doomed. With a reluctant pout, she seated herself onto the bed and allowed them to subject her to the horrors of dress-up.

Not that she didn't foil their plans every time they turned around.

*~~*


	30. Chapter 30

*~~*

The four jounin walked out of their squad house reluctantly. Personally, they felt like fools, dressed up as they were. Not that any of them looked bad.

Kakashi wore a white and silver dog mask and a silver yukata with white dogs running across the hem and sleeves. Oddly, his mask had one delicate eye painted on, as if the man who made it had known about his problem. If necessary, the eyehole could even be opened. His silver dog-shaped pendant hung from one ear.

Kurenai wore a white mask covered in red and black lines, shaped like a bird. The red and black in her eyes gave her a dizzying appearance. Her yukata was blood red, with black, spiraling shapes lining the hem and sleeves. Her long, curly, black hair was held up in a bun, hair hanging loose, and her silver bird-shaped pendant rested on the side of her hair like a barrette. In her hands she carried a black bamboo fan with a fiery pattern inside.

Asuma wore a white mask, shaped like a bear, with black and brown lines blurring together in an impossible complex pattern. His yukata was a simple dark brown, and had black, spiraling shapes identical to Kurenai's on the hem and sleeves. His black, bear-shaped pendant hung from black, wooden beads on a necklace.

Gai wore a white, turtle mask with green lines. His yukata was the same green as his spandex suit, and had white leaves along the hem and sleeves. His black, turtle pendant hung in his ear in a fashion similar to Kakashi's.

The four walked past Sparrow's house, where a great commotion could be heard. Surprised, they stopped, and several children ran by them on the street, dressed in miniature yukata and paper fox masks in varying colors.

At that moment, four people emerged from Sparrow's house. Neji led, and Sparrow and Oriole dragged Fennec. The moment the violent girl spied Kakashi, she went limp in their arms.

While Fennec stared at the copy-nin, the jounin all stared back, admiring the girl's temper.

Fennec was dressed in a bronze yukata that matched her mask, and copper colored foxes danced on her hem and sleeves. The girls had removed her pigtails and brushed back her hair, so that it hung in one medium-length, elegant ponytail, and her silver fox pendant clasped over her hair tie. In her hands, she carried a bronzed, lacquered fan with the pattern of a copper-colored fox grinning mischievously. Behind her mask, her mismatched eyes stared disconcertingly at the copy-nin.

After several awkward moments, the jounin continued forward to the festival, wondering if it was okay for them to slack off during a mission. Behind them, the girls and Neji followed at a more sedate pace, enjoying the day and staring at the stalls in amazement. Every year, the festival grew grander.

*~~*

At the second free squad house, Squirrel and Lee were meeting up with Sakura, Ino, Boar, Shikamaru, Kiba, TenTen, Shino, and Chouji.

Squirrel wore a dark green mask with golden swirls. The mask was shaped like a squirrel's face, and small ears rested at the top. Her yukata was dark green with golden leaves swirling on the hem and sleeves. Her fan was a dark green bamboo with a golden sun on the paper inside. Her long, brown braid was held back with a golden squirrel pendant.

Currently, Squirrel was adjusting Lee's yukata, because he just didn't seem to understand that he wasn't wearing pants underneath and he couldn't run around willy-nilly and perform outrageous poses in this outfit. Lee wore a white, squirrel mask with brown and gold markings, and a deep chestnut yukata with golden leaves on the hem and sleeves.

Nearby, Sakura, Ino, and TenTen were adjusting each other's hair. Sakura wore a white kitten mask with pink swirls and a light pink yukata with white flowers. Her hair was pinned up in several complicated braids, and her black kitten pendant hung from her ear, giving her outfit a wonderful contrast.

Ino wore a white pig mask with bright yellow swirls and a yellow yukata with white flowers. Her hair was up in a tight bun, and her golden pig earring shone in the light.

TenTen wore a white and black panda mask. Her brown hair was up in the usual buns, and her yukata was black with white flowers on the sleeves and hem. Her golden panda pendant was strung on white and black beads on a necklace, the splash of color in her two-tone ensemble.

Each girl carried a bamboo fan in the color of her yukata. A picture of a flower in the same color rested on the inside.

Chouji, Shino, Shikamaru, and Boar stood bored nearby. They didn't understand why girls had to make a big deal about clothes. They were dressed as simply as possible. Chouji had on a butterfly mask that he swore undercut his masculinity. It was white with deep blue-black lines, and his yukata was the same blue-black with white swirls on the hem and sleeves. His silver pendant rested on a blue-black bead necklace.

Shino's scarab mask was white with deep, jet-colored etchings. His yukata was black, and it had white swirls on the sleeves and hem. His black scarab pendant rested on white beads around his neck. His black sunglasses glinted sharply in the light. Shikamaru stared at the dark figure and wondered briefly if the heat was getting to him under all that black.

Shikamaru wore a white deer mask etched with tan. He wore a tan yukata with hazel-green leaves on the sleeves and hem. His silver pendant hung on brown beads at his neck.

Boar wore a golden boar mask with brown etchings. His yukata was golden with brown boars running across the sleeves and hem. His golden earring hung from his ear.

Standing by himself some distance off was Kiba. He was quietly wondering if Sparrow was still mad at him. After all, she had thrown a spoon at Neji for not liking her cooking. What would she do to him if he didn't apologize?

*~~*

Oriole and Sparrow watched as Neji tried for a fifth time to pick up a goldfish with a small paper net. For the fifth time, the fish flopped through the net, splashing water in Neji's eyes.

Oriole and Sparrow laughed, and Neji slapped down another payment. He _would not_ be beaten by a _goldfish._

Fennec had abandoned them all to stalk Kakashi.

Nearby, Lee and Squirrel watched as TenTen threw ball after ball at a stack of pins, knocking them all down in one go each. With a squeal, she held up her prize: a stuffed panda.

Across the way, Sakura and Ino were bickering about Sasuke. Boar, Shikamaru, and Chouji sat at a bench eating ramen. Shino had disappeared.

Kiba was desperately trying to avoid the fishing booth. He had seen Oriole and Neji, and he knew Sparrow was nearby. Suddenly, he could see Sparrow perfectly.

Sparrow wore an ebony mask, violet streaks running across it. Her yukata was the same rich black, and violet fish swam across the hem and sleeves. Her short hair still stuck out spikily, and her silver bird necklace still rested on her neck. In her hands was a black, lacquer fan with silver and violet fish on the paper inside.

Summoning up the courage, Kiba walked up to the fishing booth, Akamaru at his side. "Hey," he greeted them, waving sheepishly. Sparrow looked up and stared.

"Hi," she said quietly, her eyes glued to Kiba. Kiba wore his white and red dog mask, and his yukata was a rich red with white waves on the hem and sleeves. His silver pendant hung from a white bead necklace.

"Woof," Akamaru added. Sparrow tore her eyes from the guy and looked down at Akamaru.

"Hey there, Akamaru." She bent down and gave him an affectionate pat. As she stood up, she gave Kiba a look out of one eye before looking back down at the dog and pointing at him with an authoritative air. "You are not cute," she told the dog, waving her finger at him. Kiba and Sparrow grinned.

"Damn it," Neji ground out behind them. The two spun and saw Oriole shaking with laughter. Next to the Hyuuga, a small child scooped up a fish in one try. The three ninja roared with laughter, and Neji stalked off.

*~~*


	31. Chapter 31

*~~*

Hinata, Naruto, and Sasuke looked on the festival with wonder. Hinata and Sasuke had never seen such a bustling, happy crowd in their lives, and Naruto hadn't seen one in eight years.

Keeping a firm hold on Hinata's hand, Naruto led her through the crowd, Sasuke following behind.

"Let's try the goldfish booth, Vixen-chan!" Naruto called gleefully, more cheerful today than he had been in the last week. Hinata nodded, happy beyond belief. Naruto was touching her _hand!_ He'd called her _pretty!_

Behind them, Sasuke broke away and walked over to where Ino and Sakura were bickering. He wasn't sure he could deal with the new, hyperactive Naruto and the equally excitable Hinata.

Besides, everyone was staring at Naruto. At least the girls would pay him some attention.

*~~*

As the their laughter died down, Oriole, Sparrow, and Kiba turned to find Neji. After all, they had become a group, and now he was missing. As the three walked away from the booth, they spied Naruto leading Hinata to a second fishing booth nearby.

"Fox! Vixen!" Oriole called, running over. Kiba and Sparrow ran behind her. Turning, Naruto waved, before resuming the arduous task of catching a goldfish. Hinata, however, was careful to watch both Naruto's progress and her friends' approach.

"Yes!" Hinata heard Naruto cheer behind her, and she turned to see him waving a bag with a goldfish inside excitedly. Hinata giggled, and the others, reaching the stall, grinned secretly.

"What's so funny?" Naruto asked, seeing the smiles in their eyes.

"Falcon-kun couldn't catch one," Sparrow told him, a teasing tone dancing in her voice. Naruto roared with laughter.

"Not one?" he asked, wanting to reaffirm his suspicions.

"No!" someone called exasperatedly from behind them. They turned, and saw Neji lose yet another fish at a third fishing stall. Each ninja shook with laughter.

"Let's see what we can do about that," Naruto said cheerfully, marching over to Neji and pointing at the fish pool. "You have to know it's caught," he told the Hyuuga. "It's kinda like that fate crap you used to spout. The fish is _yours,_" he emphasized.

Neji, determined to catch a fish, nodded seriously, purchased another turn, and sat glaring into the pool. He _would_ catch the next fish.

Suddenly there was a splash, and Neji was holding a fish high in the air with his net, triumph in his eyes. The others cheered and Oriole clapped. When he received his hard-won prize, a small, black and gold fish, he presented it gently to Oriole. As Oriole held the bag, surprise in her eyes, Naruto offered his bag to Hinata, who was similarly surprised.

Sparrow and Kiba shared a look: this was getting too sappy.

Finally, the four sappy ninja turned, and Naruto frowned beneath his mask. "Where's Fennec?" he asked in concern, looking behind them for the wild girl.

"What do you mean?" Sparrow asked. "She's right here-" the girl broke off as she turned around and noticed that Fennec was missing.

"Fuck!" Oriole looked around wildly. "We lost her!"

"Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap," Sparrow began chanting, searching the crowd for their manic friend. "She got away! Hurry! We have to find her!" Without warning, Sparrow took off through the crowd. Oriole followed moments after, thrusting her fish back at Neji and dashing off.

"What was that about?" Kiba asked with a pout.

"Fennec tends to get a little crazy around a lot of people. I don't think they meant to let her wander off."

*~~*

Fennec had, indeed, wandered off. In fact, for the last thirty minutes, she had been stalking Kakashi and the other jounin. Somehow, the four were oblivious to this fact.

Or at least, she hoped so.

Several times already she had nearly been spotted. First, she'd elbowed a rather loud lady, who had shrieked up a storm. The four jounin had turned around to look at the commotion, and Fennec had dived behind a fruit cart, knocking watermelon and oranges everywhere.

Then, when Kakashi had brushed his hair back with his hand, she'd gone dreamy and knocked over a small cart full of festival bells for later in the ceremony. Instantly, the street had been filled with tinkling, ringing noises. When the jounin had turned again, Fennec had jumped into a tree, watching from its branches.

Finally, she'd been right behind the four, crushed in the mass of the crowd with the four jounin. In a moment of mischief, which she knew Fox would completely approve of, she'd reached out and pinched the copy-nin's butt. Kakashi had spun in an instant, but he couldn't find the culprit among the human ocean he was standing in. Little did he know that the culprit had simply ceased walking, and the people had filled in the gap.

Simply, Fennec had caused a great deal of trouble for her crush, and she'd done it in a limited amount of time. Dimly, she wondered if Fox would be proud.

At the moment, however, Fennec was completely bored. Stalking the copy-nin took time and a finesse she didn't have. Sooner or later, she'd be caught and embarrassed by the four, and she didn't enjoy the idea.

So, while the wild girl was ahead, three to one, she decided to give up of the pursuit. After all, she'd thought up a plan much more interesting than simple _stalking_.

*~~*


	32. Chapter 32

*~~*

TenTen busily walked the streets with her enormous stuffed panda in hand. On the outside, she appeared a composed, happy girl enjoying the festival.

On the inside, she was angry and confused. She was still wondering how Blaze could be such a jerk, and why she had left her kunai in the restaurant ceiling.

Unthinkingly, TenTen's hand lashed out in a faux punch, and she struck the man in front of her square in the back. As the man dropped like a log, TenTen discarded her stuffed animal and dropped to his side.

"Are you okay?" she asked with concern as she turned the man over. He wore a dark red yukata with orange flames, and a red, paper, fox mask.

"I'm fine," the man murmured dazedly, sitting up and groaning. "But that was one Hell of a sucker punch."

"Sorry," TenTen mumbled in embarrassment, snatching her stuffed panda off the ground and helping the man to his feet.

"S'okay," he slurred cheerfully, his eyes dancing with mischief. "Make it up to me." TenTen gaped, though no one could tell behind the mask. Who the Hell was this guy, to demand something like that so cockily?

Still, the man was waiting politely for an answer, and she could tell that he was teasing. "All right," she grinned. "I'll win you a prize. How about that?" The man appeared to think it over for a moment before nodding.

"Okay," he said teasingly, "if that's what you really want. I mean, sheesh, I didn't know you were such a pushy girl." Suddenly, TenTen realized where she had encountered that cocky demeanor before. Finally realizing that a joke had been played on her, TenTen struck the man with her stuffed animal, beating him down into the dirt with it.

"Blaze, you bastard!" she roared, thumping him roughly on the head. "How dare you do this to me?!"

From the ground, Blaze chuckled. "Calm down, Panda-chan, you're making a scene." Blaze spoke confidently, and TenTen stopped to look around the street. Indeed, others were staring, mirth in their eyes.

Glaring at the Force-nin, TenTen hauled the man up and, holding his hand, led him down the street. Every few steps she would land another blow with her panda, but she said nothing to him until they were directly in front of the great stage for the ceremony.

"Quit messing with me," she snapped, before he could say a word. "What the Hell do you want?"

Blaze's eyes danced with laughter and secrets. "I like you, Panda-chan. I wanted to come to the festival with you." Now he sounded like a little boy, confident that his charm would get his message through.

"Then how could you say such things to me!" she hissed, again striking him with the panda, which was beginning to lose its stiffness and hang limply from TenTen's hand.

"I was teasing," he told her, and she could hear the mischief in his voice. She realized that his mischief was similar to Naruto's. In fact, if their mischief were incarnated, she thought, they would be twins.

"It wasn't funny," TenTen pouted, beginning to forgive Blaze.

"You weren't looking at it right," Blaze told her pompously as he grabbed her hand and began to lead her down the street.

*~~*

"Feennnneeecc!" Oriole and Sparrow called at intervals as they looked in vain for their friend. They had searched a third of the festival streets already, and they wanted to return to their friends and have some fun.

Suddenly, as Oriole called for their fellow ninja, a shape dropped from the shadows behind them. Oriole turned to Sparrow and shook her head. Sparrow nodded and sighed. The two girls gazed dismally at the bright stalls before them, and the shape draped itself on them in an instant.

The two girls jumped, shrieked, and spun. Clumsy in their yukata, they fell, barreling over each other and the shape, sending all three to the ground.

"What was that for?" Fennec mumbled from beneath them. Sparrow and Oriole jerked upright in surprise, before smacking Fennec lightly on each arm.

"We're supposed to stay together, Fennec!" Sparrow chided, slightly angry. Oriole nodded in agreement, though she helped them all stand.

"I know!" Fennec chirped cheerfully. Sparrow and Oriole sighed in defeat and began to lead the girl back to the others. Halfway there, Sparrow turned to see what was keeping Fennec so quiet and gaped.

Fennec was following them sedately, an orange book propped in her hands, her eyes scanning its pages.

"What the?" Sparrow stopped, reaching out for Oriole as she did. Oriole was jerked to a stop, and she spun to face the same sight.

"Is that what I think it is?" Sparrow asked with frustration and confusion. "And if so, where did you get it?" Oriole was nodding along with Sparrow; she'd gotten to hear all about the lecherous old jounin with a book in his pants.

"It's Retriever's book," Fennec said distractedly, turning the page. Sparrow and Oriole groaned in frustration.

"But where did you get it?" Oriole repeated Sparrow's question.

"From his pants," Fennec said casually, sitting down on a nearby bench and turning another page.

"His _what_?" the girls shrieked simultaneously.

"His pants," Fennec replied calmly again, her complete interest in the book.

"How did you get them out of his pants!" Sparrow shrieked in disbelief. Then she and Oriole made face. "Never mind, I don't want to know."

"He wasn't wearing them," Fennec murmured as her eyes flew over the pages.

"He wasn't wearing his _pants?_" Oriole spluttered, completely shocked. She felt herself reach out for Sparrow, as though to keep herself tied to the real world.

"No," Fennec replied easily.

"What was he doing outside _nude?_" Sparrow gaped and shrieked and flailed her arms, completely bewildered. Fennec grinned beneath her mask and turned to the first page with an illustration.

"He wasn't home; I went in to get it," she replied distractedly. Suddenly, the others noticed her exposed skin flush a deep red, and she tossed the book away from her as though it had caught fire.

"Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew!" Fennec shrieked, wiping her hands on her yukata.

"What?" Oriole asked, distracted from the news of Fennec's break-in. She bent down and picked up the book, turning to the page with the illustration.

"Gah!" Oriole's scream followed Fennec's and the black-haired girl tossed the book to Sparrow and began to vigorously wipe her hands on her own yukata.

"Oh, please, it can't be that bad," Sparrow chided, opening to the page. After several seconds of reading the nearby passage, she glanced at the picture.

"It's porn!" Oriole shrieked in disgust, turning on Fennec. "Your loser reads porno!" Fennec was a mixture of pale and flushed skin.

"It's not so bad," came Sparrow's reply as she turned to the next page, passing the point where both Fennec and Oriole had stopped. "The plot's pretty poor, but the artwork's pretty good."

"Sicko!" the two girls cried, jumping their friend and wrestling the orange book from her grip.

"Take that thing back right now!" Oriole demanded, pointing accusingly at Fennec and tossing her the book. Fennec caught it, but she looked disgusted at the prospect of carrying it back across town now that she knew what it was.

Nodding, Fennec turned and left, book held away from her body, and Sparrow cried out in a pout, "But I wasn't done reading that!"

With a frustrated smile, Oriole reached out, whanging Sparrow on the back of the head. "Don't say that!" she hissed, the eerily plastered smile on her face growing steadily larger. "Jeez, it's bad enough she stole that book! You don't need to let people know you were reading it!"

Sparrow pouted and said nothing, and the two sat in a companionable silence as they waited for Fennec to return.

*~~*

On the farthest side of the festival, Shino and Bee were sitting deep in the shade, enjoying lunch and watching the people go by.

"Won't your friends miss you?" Bee asked with concern as she bit into her sushi. Shino shook his head no, and his glasses slipped off his mask for the fifth time. With a small sigh, he placed them back on. Bee giggled.

"Those look so silly over a festival mask," she told him. "Just take them off; it'd look nicer." Shino, still nervous around girls, removed the glasses slowly before putting them into a pocket in his yukata.

"See," Bee grinned. "It's not the end of the world."

Or course, Shino disagreed; those glasses were his only claim to coolness!

Without them, he'd only be a silent, kinda-freaky, bug-obsessed, moderately strong ninja that everyone thought was geeky.

With the glasses, Shino was still all those things, but everyone saw him as cool and taciturn, rather than shy and nerdy.

Shino grunted slightly in disagreement, and Bee gaped. "Uwah! You spoke! You spoke! You're not mute!" Shino frowned slightly behind his mask; he was sure he'd spoken to her several times before this, but he couldn't think of one in particular to refute her thoughts.

"Do it again, do it again!" she cheered happily. "Can you say Beeee?" Shino flushed in a mixture of indignity and embarrassment. Of course he could say _bee._

Forcing the words past his nervous lips, Shino mumbled, "Pee."

A dense silence settled over the two before Bee fell over with laughter, tears racing down her face and leaking out of the eyeholes of her mask.

"_Peee_," she snickered, biting her lip and kicking her legs mildly. Shino, mortified, started to disappear into the background, one of his specialties.

Suddenly, Bee jumped up, laughter dancing in her eyes, and snatched Shino's hand, pulling him back down. Caught off guard, the Aburame stumbled and fell, landing on top of the girl in a very compromising position.

Their masks were touching, almost caught in a kiss of their own. Shino's dark, black eyes locked with Bee's bright blue ones. Shino's hands were placed on either side of Bee's body, while Bee's own hands were trapped between them by Shino's weight.

At that exact moment, Wasp walked by their spot and froze at the sight. Shino and Bee looked up slowly in mute shock. After several silent moments, Wasp walked closer, yanking the mortified and severely shocked Aburame off his daughter and dangling him in the air by his yukata.

"You gonna make an honest woman outta her?" Wasp asked suddenly, a threat deep in his scathing eyes.

Behind the two, Bee roared with laughter as she suddenly understood her father's thoughts.

"Daddy," she chirped, "I yanked on his arm and he fell."

Wasp paused for a moment and studied his daughter before deciding she was telling the truth. Contritely, he turned back to the boy in his grasp to apologize, but froze and began chuckling.

Shino Aburame, the impervious, unmovable, bug-covered rock of the leaf, had fainted.

*~~*


	33. Chapter 33

*~~*

Throughout the entirety of the festival, ninja and civilians alike were having a good time.

Asayake was especially enjoying herself.

After all, no one suspected a thing about her. The few Konoha ninja who had met her had almost instantly forgotten her. Plus, she knew Sasuke's _name._

Now, for most people, knowing someone's name is natural. For the witches who lived in the Quadgram, such as Asayake's own Tsuni clan, a name was powerful magic. If any of the witches knew someone's name, they could force him to bend to their will or put a curse on him. If they knew his entire name, they could do something absolutely _horrendous _to him. Because of this tremendous power, the territories devised code names to keep people safe.

Unfortunately, Asayake only knew his first name, or she'd do something truly evil to him. After all, he'd been so rude to her!

With a grin, she recalled what she'd done to Husky when he'd been rude to her.

Laughing, the Tsuni witch dodged a crowd of festival-goers and rounded the corner, searching for her prey. She knew Sasuke had to be around here somewhere.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spied the sullen ninja between two very flamboyant kunoichi she didn't know. One, she noticed, was the pink hair girl called Kitten who had told her the boy's name. The other was an unknown blonde who screeched very loudly as the two girls attempted to out-shout each other.

Smirking, Asayake seated herself at the table next to theirs. Sasuke's eyes nearly popped out of his head in recognition, but the girls didn't notice. Enjoying herself immensely, Asayake gave the boy a small wave before pulling a small leather pouch from her blood-red yukata. From another pocket, she pulled the blood red, paper fox mask she should have been wearing before she arrived.

At the table next to the witch, Sakura and Ino had ceased shouting and were now vigorously chatting about their time in the Quadgram. While they faced away from Asayake, Sasuke had a prime view of her spell.

Still smirking, the girl dumped a small onyx stone from the leather pouch and began waving her hand over it in tiny circles. Catching Sasuke's eye, she began to chant rapidly under her breath. Finally, she snatched the pebble from the table and tossed it up in the air, catching it without looking and fixing her sight on Sasuke.

"Sa su ke," she enunciated carefully, giving him the evil eye. Sasuke felt a jolt go through his body moments before Ino and Sakura turned in surprise. Asayake gave them a cheery wave and pocketed the stone before she slid on her mask and walked off.

"Who was that?" Ino looked over at Sakura in a look of surprise and wariness.

"Oh, I remember her," Sakura said suddenly, snapping her fingers. "I ran into her on the street. I wonder how she learned Sasuke's name?" She turned back to her teammate, who had gone paler, if that were possible. While Sakura had forgotten her encounter with the woman, Sasuke definitely had _not._

What had that crazy woman done to him?

Apparently, the girls couldn't feel it, because they resumed their conversations. Sasuke, however, couldn't shake the feeling of _evil._

*~~*

It was nearly time for the ceremony, Sparrow knew. She was sitting on a bench with Oriole, waiting for Fennec to return. Just as the squad leader was about to get up and leave, Oriole turned and pointed.

"There she is!" she said emphatically, pointing at Fennec. The other squad leader had just emerged from an alley looking very put out.

"What's wrong with her?" Sparrow asked as the two walked toward their wild friend.

"I think she's disappointed about that guy."

"The porn-reader?" Sparrow giggled.

"Yep!"

"He is not gross!" Fennec yelled to them as she heard their conversation. Her tone implied she was still wasn't quite convinced, herself.

"Sure, sure," Sparrow agreed, trying not to giggle. Fennec gave her the best sullen look she could from behind her mask.

"Can we go now?" Fennec asked impatiently. "I want to see the ceremony, and it starts soon."

"Yeah, let's go," Oriole agreed. Still giggling, Sparrow led them off to collect the boys and head toward the stage for the ceremony.

*~~*

"Scaaraab," Bee whispered, poking the unconscious Aburame gently. "Waaakee upp." After a few moments, Shino twitched. Bee giggled, and Shino jumped up in surprise.

"Wha-?" Shino looked around in confusion. Bee was giggling helplessly, and her father Wasp was no where to be seen.

"Daddy left after you fainted," Bee explained, smiling brightly. "And I decided to let you sleep. I would have let you sleep longer, but we need to get to the ceremony." Shino nodded, and the two headed off.

*~~*

When Sparrow, Oriole, and Fennec rounded the corner where they had left everyone, they were surprised at how empty the street was. In fact, only the Konoha ninja remained. Everyone else had cleared out and headed to the ceremony.

"Hey, idiots!" Fennec yelled loudly, getting their attention. Oriole shook her head and Sparrow smacked her forehead.

Sakura and Ino spun around from where they were sitting, and Sasuke frowned when he realized who spoke. Shikamaru and Chouji looked up from their meals and noticed that Boar had left while they were eating and talking. Neji and Kiba walked over, looking confused. The four jounin sensei looked over from where they had been lounging at a table.

With a groan, Sparrow realized Lee, Hinata, TenTen, Shino, and Naruto were missing. She could only hope that they made it to the ceremony on their own. Well, she was certain Naruto would, anyway.

"You guys should be at the ceremony!" Fennec continued, making a shooing motion with her hands. Kiba and Neji walked over, and Oriole and Sparrow nodded in agreement.

"Let's go," Sparrow whispered to Kiba, grabbing his arm and dragging him off. As she walked them to the ceremony, she motioned for Sakura, Ino, and Sasuke to follow.

Oriole performed a similar motion, dragging Neji and telling Shikamaru and Chouji to follow.

Fennec, therefore, was left with the jounin. One of whom she was trying not to be disgusted by. "Hurry up!" she yelled, waving for them to follow her.

As the three groups walked onto the largest street where the ceremony stage was set up, they noticed that everyone else was already present. On the ninja side of the crowd, TenTen stood with a man dressed in red, and Lee stood with Squirrel. Further off, Shino stood with Bee. Hinata, they noticed, stood with several Quadgram ninja and was watching the stage in anticipation.

Excited by the ceremony, the girls led their charges over to the ninja side of the crowd and waited while the ceremony was set up backstage.

Sparrow grinned as she watched the heavy blue curtain over the stage, waiting for the ceremony to begin. With a smile at Kiba, she grabbed his hand and stood glowing in excitement. Kiba felt himself blush under his mask, and Akamaru woofed happily.

Oriole saw her squad leader grab the boy's hand and mimicked her movement, grabbing Neji's hand and staring straight at the stage in mock innocence.

Fennec stood in the middle of the jounin, meanwhile, oblivious to the romance around her. Gai was searching for his favorite student earnestly, not realizing that he was currently in a moment with Squirrel, and Asuma and Kurenai had slunk into a corner of the crowd. Kakashi, however, looked over the crowds.

"Why are the villagers wearing different masks?" Kakashi asked Fennec, looking over the crowds. All of the villagers were wearing paper masks in varying colors, but many wore the masks of different animals. Several wore the masks of birds, snakes, wolves and fennecs, squirrels and boars. But most, he noticed, wore the masks of foxes.

"The villagers wear masks similar to their favorite ninja," she told him as she watched the stage. She still wasn't sure she could talk to him after she had read that book earlier.

"So if they wear a dog mask?" he elaborated.

"Then their favorite ninja is on Husky's team. It depends on what the mask looks like, exactly, to tell who they like best."

"Why are there so many foxes?" he asked, looking over to the young woman.

Fennec frowned from behind her mask. She was beginning to realize that Kakashi had little faith in Naruto.

"Well, some of those foxes are fennecs," she pointed to a man wearing a fennec mask. "Those are my fans," she laughed. "But most of the foxes are just foxes. They're Fox's fans."

"Why does he have so many?" Kakashi pushed.

"Because he's our second in command. He saved our lives. I'm shocked there aren't more foxes this year. Some of them might not realize he's back." As impressed as he was by this girl, it took Kakashi a moment to realize what she'd said.

"He saved your lives?"

"Shh," Fennec whispered as an answer, putting her finger to the lips of the mask. "It's about to start." She pointed to the stage, where the blue curtains were being drawn aside. A hush fell over the crowd as the ceremony began.


	34. Chapter 34

This chapters is pretty long, and tells the history of Quadgram in a play format. It might take you a while to sift through all the facts and learn them. Sorry, but this chapter was quite necessary, if tedious to read.

For a moment, the ninja stood watching an empty stage. The air was thick with tense silence. Then, a bell started to ring. Gradually, a second bell joined in, followed by a third and a fourth. Each bell had a slightly higher pitch, and together they formed a startlingly beautiful noise. Then, the bells suddenly ceased ringing. A familiar voice echoed over the crowd, telling a story.

_Wolf,_ the Guild-nin realized. Fennec grinned in pride for her subordinate.

"In the beginning, Quadgram was one city, with no rulers," Wolf began. The leaf-nin realized that they were about to learn the origin of Guild and listened intently. The Guild-nin and villagers listened with pride.

Four people walked out onto the stage, dressed in voluminous kimono. Each wore a solid color mask and kimono of a different color. One wore blue, one wore black, one wore red, and one wore green.

"Then, when war broke out, four men stepped forward and proposed a plan to divide and rule the city." The four men stepped forward, bowing to the crowd, and a bell rang in emphasis.

"From the northeast corner came Firestorm, the first leader of Seiryoku." The man in red walked forward and twirled. The crowd clapped appreciatively.

"From the southeast corner came Dark Plague, the first leader of Kaijin." The man in black bowed more deeply than before. The crowd gave a scattered clap, in recognition of both the current war and their respect for the man.

"From the southwest corner came Trustworthy, the first leader of Meiyo." The man in green waved with his fan. Again, the crowd clapped. Still, the leaf ninja could feel the anticipation as the crowd awaited the Guild leader.

"Finally, from the northwest corner came Pantherdragon, the first leader of Guild." The man in blue did a backflip, and the crowd erupted in cheers. Together, the men bowed and retreated from the stage as the applause died down. Again, the bells pealed in unison.

"For a while, all was peaceful in the city. Then, we were attacked by wandering ninja." This time, a man appeared in a dark blue kimono with gold on the hems. On his face was the mask of a panther, set in deepest gold. The ninja who had seen Naruto's yukata earlier that day gasped, because now they understood the significance of the colors.

Next to the panther, a man emerged wearing a faceless mask. The mask itself was pure white, and the only features were two wide eyeholes.

"In Guild, Pantherdragon planned a movement, taking his ninja to fight the invaders alongside Seiryoku, Kaijin, and Meiyo."

Pantherdragon took a step forward on stage, pointing with his closed fan, and several faceless ninja wearing black, blue, red, or green appeared behind him, brandishing swords and kunai. From the other side of the stage, ninja in fierce, human-looking masks and bland gray yukata wielded kunai and swords of their own. Suddenly a battle ensued onstage, people from both sides dropping from awesome attacks.

Finally, it came down to Pantherdragon and a new ninja in blue, who had just appeared onstage, and four enemy ninja. The new Guild ninja wore the same blue as the faceless ninja who had fought before him, and his mask was the same anonymous white. However, his white mask was carved into the shape of a raven.

The two Guild ninja stood contemplating the four remaining enemies, when the four suddenly attacked, wounding Pantherdragon before being defeated.

"In the final battle, Pantherdragon was fatally wounded, and his four generals had been killed. He called forth his second in command, Raven, and passed on the leadership of Guild." Onstage, the curtains were closing on Raven, who was holding the dying Pantherdragon in the sea of faceless corpses. In the crowd, several people were crying. The leaf ninja were watching raptly. Kakashi was paying particular attention.

Next, a cymbal crashed together, and the crowd could hear the wooden click of geta on the wooden stage above and before them. The blue curtains again pulled apart, revealing a man in a blue and gold kimono, a golden raven mask on his face. He stood in a wide stance, and four men walked toward him, two from each side. They were each dressed in blue, and wore faceless masks and geta. As the four men approached, they seated themselves before their leader, with their backs to the crowd.

"After Pantherdragon passed, Raven assumed the leadership of Guild, and became Ravendragon. One day, he had a meeting with his four generals regarding the great battle in which they had lost their previous commander." The man onstage gestured angrily, and the four generals nodded.

"Ravendragon pointed out to his men that they had lost so many men because of their lack of chakra. When his generals agreed, Ravendragon met with the other leaders of the city, and discussed the matter." Onstage, the men dressed in black, red, and green appeared, gesturing to Ravendragon.

"Again, Ravendragon raised his concerns. If wandering ninja had attacked once, then they could attack again. The other leaders of the city agreed. Together, they brought forth their greatest thinkers to solve the problem." All of the men onstage disappeared backstage, and Ravendragon reappeared, carrying a piece of machinery about the size of barrel.

"The solution was the machine deep underground, which would eliminate chakra from anyone in the vicinity. With the help of his men, Ravendragon placed the machine deep in the center of the city, to prevent outside attacks." Again the curtains closed, and the crowd clapped. Just as quickly, the curtains re-opened. On the right stood Ravendragon and his men, all in blue. On the right stood more enemies in gray.

"When the next group of ninja attacked the city, their advantage was gone." During the second fight, only three Guild ninja fell, while their enemies were slaughtered or ran. Again the curtain closed.

"Feeling that his duties as leader were complete, Ravendragon passed his duties to his second in command, Cobra." The curtains opened to reveal a man in a white raven mask bowing slightly to a man in a golden snake mask.

"Cobradragon became the third leader of Guild, and had a very peaceful reign." Around Cobradragon, faceless members of all four corners mingled peacefully. To his right emerged a woman in a white sparrow mask.

"Then, when Cobradragon felt it was time, he passed on his reign to the first female leader of Guild, Sparrow." In the crowd, Sparrow felt herself blush because of her namesake, and Kiba turned and stared at her. The women in the crowd began to whistle and clap wildly. For a moment, the people disappeared from the stage, and Sparrowdragon re-emerged, this time with a golden mask.

"When Sparrowdragon took command, many became jealous and angry. They did not believe that a woman would make a good leader." Around Sparrowdragon, several faceless Guild members stood conspiring. To her other side, a crowd of faceless ninja stood cheering.

"However, Sparrowdragon proved them wrong, establishing permanent squads, making the ninja work force more efficient. She named two of her worst heretics as her generals, along with two of her greatest champions. As her second in command, she appointed her worst heretic of all, Tiger." Around Sparrowdragon appeared four faceless ninja and one ninja in a white tiger mask. The rest of the stage emptied.

Several of the leaf ninja in the crowd jerked in recognition, but most still didn't realize the truth.

"Then, when Sparrowdragon had gained her opponents' trust, she opened a truce with the other factions, and invited them to a large party." With her five subordinates, Sparrowdragon sat in a large semicircle. Leaders and seconds from the other three factions came and filled in the circle. Each wore the appropriate color and faceless masks.

"However, there was deceit in the truce. Someone poisoned Sparrowdragon, killing her and beginning a war." On stage, Sparrowdragon fell over, and the others jumped up, pointing in accusation. Angrily, they each stomped offstage, except for Tiger, who took his leader gently into his arms and carried her offstage.

Again, there were several in the crowd who began to cry, and the bells again pealed before the crowd quieted.

"In retaliation for their fallen leader, Guild began a war with Kaijin, who was discovered to be the culprit. Tigerdragon took command, and made his brother Lion second. Together they fought Kaijin." The crowd began to boo and hiss. On stage, Tigerdragon walked out, wearing a golden tiger mask. Next to him stood a man in a white lion mask.

Now, the Konoha ninja were confused. Wasn't Naruto the second? Befuddled, they turned to the people next to them to ask. To their surprise, Sparrow, Fennec, Oriole, and Squirrel were gone.

"Tigerdragon began to lead the war against Kaijin, and much of the city in all four corners began to fall apart. Each of the four factions was deeply angry, and nothing seemed able to stop their anger." Tigerdragon stood next to Lion and several faceless ninja. On each corner of the stage were a leader and several subordinates in blue, black, red, and green.

"After many years of war, the city seemed to be falling apart. Most of the civilians lived in poverty, discarding their children or dying of disease. Tigerdragon worked to keep his people safe from Kaijin and the other factions. However, he didn't realize that there was a traitor in the midst." Again, the crowd began to hiss and boo. The leaf ninja were watching the play raptly, wondering who the traitor was.

"At that same time, thirteen years ago, a small boy entered the city. The city was still beautiful and open to outsiders, and by then, the war was mostly fought secretly. Each faction mostly consisted of ninja and orphans." Tigerdragon and his men walked offstage, along with the other actors. Onstage walked a small boy, dressed in white, with a faceless mask. The crowd roared and applauded. The leaf-nin looked confused.

"First, he met a group of orphans like himself, and he joined them in causing mischief for Kaijin." About twelve other children, boys and girls, joined the boy onstage, dressed in blue yukata and faceless masks. Only the boy's white clothes distinguished him.

"As he grew older, it became apparent that he, along with several select children, were more effective against Kaijin than the Guild ninja were." The boy remained onstage, fighting older children and young adults in black alongside of seven of his comrades in blue.

"Then, one day, he discovered that it was Tigerdragon's brother, Lion, who had betrayed Guild for Kaijin. As he attempted to give this information to Tigerdragon, whom he had never met, he was stopped by Lion and his followers." The boy onstage stood in the center of a group of Destruction members. The crowd was tense with anticipation.

"And yet, he sent his friends on ahead to deliver the news, while he fought outmatched." The group of children ran ahead, and the boy began to dodge various attacks.

"When Tigerdragon found out the news, he was devastated. Quickly, the children took him to the boy and his brother. But, when they got there, the boy had beaten them all." On stage, the boy had just finished defeating Lion. Tigerdragon and the other children emerged from the side, and stood staring in amazement. The crowd roared.

"This boy, Tigerdragon realized, had no attachment to Guild at all, yet had saved them all. To the surprise of many, it was a mere child who had won the war and saved their lives. In his great trust and gratitude, Tigerdragon named Fox his second." The crowd cheered as Tigerdragon shook the boy's hand, and the leaf ninja flinched. _Naruto _won the war?

The actors walked offstage, and Tigerdragon re-emerged, his mask white. Behind him was a man wearing a golden fox mask. The crowd screamed in delight and surprise.

"Five years after he arrived, Fox left for home. But here, returned to us, is our future leader. Foxdragon!" Around Naruto stood five ninja, each wearing their current festival masks. The crowd cheered for Squirrel, Sparrow, Fennec, Oriole, and Boar. The ninja onstage bowed, and the curtains slid closed. After a moment, however, they opened, revealing the leaders of Guild, past, present, and future.

The characters onstage, Pantherdragon, Ravendragon, Cobradragon, Sparrowdragon, Tigerdragon, and Foxdragon, bowed simultaneously. Behind the crowd, music began to play. The leaders descended from the stage and began to dance with the people in the crowd. From behind the stage, the other participants emerged and joined in the fun.

The leaf ninja stood in the middle of the noise and excitement as though frozen.

From Kiba's left, Sparrow emerged, grabbing his hand and pulling him off to dance. Akamaru barked loudly and bounced over to join them. Nearby, Neji smirked until Oriole appeared and dragged him off.

Shino, noticing a pattern, tried to sneak away. However, Bee deterred him and started to dance. Boar filtered through the crowd and found Ino, bowing and asking for a dance. Ino, flustered, forgot about Sasuke.

Sakura, although confused because of the play, didn't miss Sasuke trying to leave. Grinning wickedly, she chased him down for a dance.

Shikamaru noticed a group of girls giggling and making doe-eyes at him and unsuccessfully attempt to escape. Lee, unlike most of the Konoha ninja, asked a girl to dance. Squirrel, giggling, accepted.

Blaze turned to TenTen, smile on his face, and twirled her around. Chouji was sought out by Butterfly. Fennec shared a dance with Wolf.

Gai, not liking the looks he was getting, disappeared into the crowd. Asuma and Kurenai laughed and took each other's hands. Kakashi wandered off, immensely uncomfortable.


	35. Chapter 35

*~~*

Naruto, fairly embarrassed at having been on stage in front of all his friends, disappeared from the back of the stage and changed his mask back to the original before melting into the crush of the crowd.

He looked around nervously, anticipating teasing from his fellow leaf-nin. Instead, he noticed Kiba dancing wildly with Sparrow, Akamaru jumping between them. Nearby, Oriole was spinning circles around Neji, her yukata swirling around her body. Wolf bowed to Fennec, taking her hand before trying to lead her in a simple dance.

The other couples danced near the edge of the crowd, dancing small, slow steps, arms wrapped around each other. Naruto smiled when he saw that Sakura was able to press her face into Sasuke's shoulder without being pushed away. He smiled doubly hard when he noticed that Blaze had successfully infiltrated Guild territory, and was dancing with a girl who could only be TenTen.

Then the sea of people nearby parted slightly, making Naruto's heart ache.

For the first time for many years, Naruto could see his loneliness echoed in someone else's. Hinata stood straight and tall at the foot of the stage, her yukata shimmering in the low light of the evening. Her ebony hair curled lightly over her mask, and she held her fan loosely in her hand. Her entire being was divine, the very portrait of a princess at the end of her happily-ever-after. But her face was turned towards the stage, towards the dark blue curtains, in the very pose of longing.

She was waiting for him.

Naruto couldn't remember his feet moving, or even that he'd caught his breath. The next thing he knew, he was behind Hinata, his heart pounding.

"Vixen-chan," he breathed out her name, holding out his hand as she spun in surprise.

"Fox-kun?!" she took his hand, her body trembling. She hadn't seen him approach.

"Why don't we get out of here?" he smirked, his blue eyes dancing in the fading light. All around them, people were lighting lanterns and the music was being played lower and more sweetly. Fireflies came out of hiding and began to dance between the gathered dancers and amors.

Hinata nodded shakily, and Naruto pulled her gently through the dancing crowd, until they were half way down a street Hinata couldn't quite recognize in the dark. Naruto spun once, laughing. Hinata's tinkling giggle followed. He turned toward her, merriment dancing in his eyes as he pulled off his mask. Following suit, Hinata slipped her own mask off her face as he led her, dancing and skipping.

At the end of the street, Naruto turned suddenly, beckoning her to come quickly. Hinata stepped forward and gasped as Naruto spun and placed his hands over her eyes.

"Don't worry, Hinata-chan, it's a surprise," he whispered, his warm breath blowing into her ears. Gooseflesh ran up and down Hinata's arms, and her knees knocked together in a swift motion. With a mischievous grin, Naruto led the Hyuuga heir forward, slowly and gently. Under her feet, Hinata could feel the pavement give way to spongy grass, and a light, cool breeze began to brush her face, which was growing hot under Naruto's hands. She wondered momentarily if he'd forgotten that she could see through his hands if she wanted, but then discarded the thought entirely.

They continued to walk on, until Naruto led her up a gentle incline, before they stopped at the top. She could hear him chuckle lightly as he adjusted his hands over her eyes. At her back she could feel the heat coming off his body, which was protecting her slightly from the breeze.

"Okay," he whispered, sliding his hands off her face. "You can look now." Hinata's eyes opened slowly. They were adjusted well to the dark now, and the sun had finished setting as Naruto had led her here.

Hinata gasped.

They were standing on a hill at the top of a large field positively covered in flowers. All around them, night-blooming flowers opened in small, light purple buds that were opening to the moon. With a grin on his face, Naruto used a finger to gently lift Hinata's chin up to the sky. She gasped again. Here, even more brightly than in Konoha, the stars shone like diamonds. At that moment, the sky seemed large and so dark, and the stars so bright, that Hinata felt herself sway.

Smirking, Naruto caught her arms and seated them. He chuckled quietly. "It takes some getting used to," he admitted as he smiled at her. Hinata couldn't help it then. A smile took hold of her mouth and pulled it wide. In the corners of her eyes, tears sparkled. The moment was too perfect. She could feel it waiting to be destroyed. Without meaning to, she spoke.

"It's perfect," she whispered. Then she gasped and covered her mouth. Had she just destroyed the fragile moment?

But she hadn't, because Naruto nodded, a large, unfightable smile on his on face. He reached up, taking one of her hands from her face with his own and pulled them down into the grass and flowers to lie on their backs. A sweet smell rushed up from the flowers they had crushed under them, and the warmth from Naruto's hand fought back the coolness of the grass.

Hinata was overwhelmed. For a long time, all she could focus on were the bright, serene light from the stars and the distant sound of music overlapping the rush over blood in her ears. Then, with a start, she noticed that Naruto was rubbing her fingers gently with his own. Her heart nearly stopped.

Her free hand clutched at the grass underneath it, and she sucked in a sharp breath. Her every sense was screaming madly that she was happy, and she almost couldn't believe it. With her Byakugan, she glanced over at Naruto, not wanting to ruin the moment.

Naruto was staring up the stars, a serene smile on his face. He looked far more relaxed than Hinata could ever remember seeing him be. The blonde took a deep breath, savoring the smell of the flowers, before closing his eyes and tightening his grip of her hand. Her heart flip-flopping, Hinata felt her mouth twist. She fought it back as hard as she could, twisting the grass mercilessly under her free hand, biting her lip and wrenching her eyes shut.

In the end, the gasping sob burst its way out.

After that, Naruto moved like lightning, dropping her hand and leaning over her. Hinata's free hand was already up, covering her mouth, but he pulled it gently away, coaxing her to speak.

"Hinata-chan? What's wrong, why are you crying?" She forced herself to open her eyes, the tears leaking out like waterfalls.

"Hinata-chan? What did I do? What's wrong?" She shook her head, recapturing his hand.

"Nothing's wrong," she whispered, her eyes closing tightly to force out the last of the tears. She reopened them to find a very disbelieving Naruto. Her smile grew as she wiped the tears away. "I'm just happy."

She could see the shock go through him. His body jerked slightly, and his eyes opened wide before closing completely. His hand tightened around hers. His grin grew, and when he opened his eyes again, she could see there were tears gathering around the corners. He was almost in as much awe of the moment as she was. To think that he could be this happy, be this wanted, was supposed to be an unattainable dream. Yet it was here, and he could feel the moment, fragile as glass in his hands, waiting to break.

He wouldn't let it.

"Me too," he whispered, settling himself beside her in the grass, lying on his side with his nose at her cheek. He laid his arm over her stomach and pulled her close in beside him.

"Me too."

*~~*


	36. Chapter 36

*~~*

Naruto's heart was pounding like a drum. None of this had been planned; he'd certainly not meant to end up hugging Hinata in a field.

But he was.

And he liked it.

A lot.

When, he wondered, was the last time someone had tolerated a hug from him, let alone wanted one? Under his cheek, he could feel Hinata's pulse racing in time to his own. To him, it was a melody of euphoria: both his and Hinata's. A rustle of grass, and Hinata turned over, still resting under Naruto's protective arm. Both of their faces burned as they realized this put them nose to nose.

Hinata was beautiful. She was kind. She was a talented ninja. She was everything anyone could ever want. He stared into her light purple eyes and felt his very blood shake.

Naruto wavered.

The blonde ninja clenched his eyes closed, lowering his head under Hinata's chin. His left fist clenched into the back of her yukata.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata's breath whispered over his neck as she voiced her concern. Hot, wet tears splashed against her neck, and she gasped.

"Naruto-kun?!" She started to rise, but Naruto pulled her more tightly against him. Surprised, she stopped, putting her free hand up to cradle the back of his neck.

"I'm sorry, Hinata-chan," he whispered, his voice ragged. More hot tears splashed her neck and collar bone. Eyes wide, she gently ran her fingers through the hair on the nape of his neck and whispered soothing noises.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "I'm sorry. So, so, so sorry. You don't deserve this. You don't deserve some idiot ninja who can't even tell if he likes somebody. I'm an idiot! An idiot!" He gasped into her neck, clung to her.

Hinata felt herself shake to her core. Naruto had...? Naruto had deduced that she liked him? And he was trying to reciprocate her feelings? A burning warmth rushed her stomach.

"Naruto-kun!" she shook him once, hard, lifting them up off the ground. Naruto pulled back, surprised, eyes wide. Was she going to hit him, he wondered? For touching her like that? He looked up and winced. Her eyes were fierce. For the first time, he was forcefully reminded that Neji and Hinata were cousins.

"Naruto-kun." Hinata took his hands, and Naruto had to force back a flinch. "You are NOT an idiot."

Naruto blinked in surprise. "What?"

She smiled. "You are NOT an idiot."

"But..."

"You're not."

Naruto looked at her, confused. "You're not mad at me?"

Hinata smiled, and Naruto felt his heart clench. It was a gentle smile, full of sincerity. And, surprisingly, love. Yet, he also recognized the smile. It was the one she always wore in his presence. He'd been such an idiot.

"I'm an idiot."

"You're not," she insisted, clenching his hands in hers.

"I am," he gave a sheepish smile. "For not noticing how you felt until now."

Hinata flinched and blushed, dropping his hands. She started to pull away, but Naruto's hands shot out and recaptured hers, pulling her forward. Hinata gasped, landing on Naruto's chest. With blinding speed, Naruto captured her in a tight hug. Hinata buried her burning face in Naruto's neck.

"I promise," he whispered, his voice low in the dark. She could feel his breath rustle over her hair. "I promise to try to give you everything you want, Hinata-chan." He felt her jump under his hands but didn't let her go. "I mean it, Hinata-chan. It's a promise." In her mind, she knew what he meant. _I promise to try to love you, too. _

In her ears, Hinata could hear the echoes of all the times she'd heard those words from him before. _It's a promise._ And Naruto never backed down on a promise.

"It's your nindo," she rasped. Naruto chuckled and nodded, putting his chin on her head and holding her tightly.

"I believe in you," she whispered, and Naruto felt his heart jump again. His arms came down from around her sides, and Hinata sat up, smiling. The most adorable blush adorned her cheeks as she smiled at him, her eyes shining with happiness in the light of the moon. "I believe in you."

"Hinata-chan." He leaned forward, pushing a wisp of her hair out of her face. Her hand came up, running over the whisker-scars on his face. Naruto's eyes closed slightly, though he wasn't sure if it was from the smell of the flowers beneath them or the peacefulness he felt, or the soft, warm touch of Hinata's fingertips on his face.

"Naruto-kun." They were nose to nose again, both of them dizzy. Naruto wondered distantly what it was like to kiss someone. But it was already too late to be wondering, because he was lowering his lips to her own, pulled by some invisible strings that he didn't care to cut.

Then a sound like the moon exploding rocked their ears, and an enormous quake threw them to the ground. Half-deaf, they looked up, eyes wide.

A roaring fireball rose over the festival, turning the dark sky a bloody red.

*~~*


	37. Chapter 37

*~~*

Ice ran through Naruto's veins. Hinata felt a rush of dizziness but pushed it back.

"Let's go!" he yelled, already running ahead. Hinata followed. Behind them, their masks lay upturned on the flowers, gazing at the moon.

It was only a two minute run back to the festival, but it was still too much time for the both of them. It took every bit of training they possessed to fight back the anxiety. Ninja did not generally suffer bomb attacks, which this most obviously was. Bombs were not weapons they could fight. They were not something they could defend their friends from.

And now, they had no way of knowing which of their friends might lie dead, pieces of bloody meat on the festival pavement.

Naruto did a quick weapons inventory. He was only carrying a handful of kunai. He cursed and asked Hinata to do the same.

Hinata was similarly prepared. They hadn't been expecting anything like this at all.

They rounded the last corner of the dark alley they had left through, which was now lit up like a bonfire. They felt shivers run down their spines as they looked on over the chaos.

The entire stage was burning, large flames licking up the curtains and into the streets. Corpses littered the pavement, some of them burnt or burning, indicating death from the explosion. Others were furthere away, covered in blood, their animal masks staring up in a macabre mockery of death.

All over, Destruction ninja and Guild ninja were fighting. The pair could see, now, that not all of the bodies were Guild victims. Some of them were dead Destruction-nin.

Naruto felt his blood boil worse than ever before. Worse, even, than the times he'd fought Sasuke when the idiot thought he should go to Orochimaru. Worse, even, than the times he'd fought Orochimaru himself.

This kind of merciless slaughter was against the rules.

Fine, he thought. Fuck the rules.

"Hinata," he looked over at her, his face stern. She looked back, and he could see she was braced for battle. Nodding, he handed her all of his remaining kunai. When she looked at him quizzically, he ripped the sleeves off of his yukata to reveal his silver bracelet on his thin, tan wrist.

"I want you to get everyone you can out of here," he told her, the anger simmering under his skin. She nodded, and turned to go. He reached out and caught her arm, spun her around.

"And make it back safe," he rasped, his eyes somehow bright with concern and dark with anger. "Promise me."

"I promise," she whispered. He nodded, kissed her on her forehead and turned, disappearing into the fray.

Hinata blinked once, then ripped the sleeves off her own yukata, throwing them down alongside Naruto's. She ripped off the bottom as well, re-adjusting the sash so that the remaining fabric was covering her, but also unrestraining. Then she, too, dove into the fight.

*~~*

Bodies. So many bodies. Hinata forced back her anger, her disgust, her fear. She leapt around the dead, looking for survivors.

To her left, an unknown Guild member was trying to fight off a Destruction-nin nearly twice his size. Without thinking, she took out a kunai and threw it straight into his spine at the back of his neck. He fell, an instant death. Unflinchingly, she went and retrieved it, ignoring the popping noise that she made by removing the instrument of death. The Guild-nin gave her his thanks and disappeared to engage another Destruction-nin in battle.

Hinata gripped the bloody kunai tightly, flinging it at yet another Destruction-nin. Hitting yet another vital area. Delivering yet another instantaneous death. This was not a time for mercy. She had seen it in Naruto's eyes, as clearly as if her Byakugan had shown it to her.

This was a time of death.

She could not forgive them.

*~~*


	38. Chapter 38

*~~*

Shikamaru flinched as yet another kunai whizzed by his face. He wasn't trained to fight in an open melee like this. If anything, this was the worst possible fight for him. His eyes darted wildly around, looking for a single other person he knew. Every part of him was screaming in agony.

He'd been too close to the stage. Close enough to get thrown by the blast, though far enough away to escape the fire. The girl he'd been dancing with hadn't been as lucky as he was. She'd taken a blow hard to both her shoulder and her forehead. She was draped across his back now, blood dripping from her forehead and down his shirt as he tried to get them both to relative safety.

Another kunai flew by, nicking his cheek. He hissed and looked over. His mouth fell open in surprise. Whoever had thrown that kunai was dead, a kunai deep in his own throat. Hinata stood over the dead ninja, reaching down to pull it out. She stood up and caught Shikamaru's eyes, then ran over to him.

Up close, it was even more difficult for him to believe.

Her hair had come completely undone, and she had clearly pulled it back into a hasty knot with bloody hands, because dried blood stuck to her hair. The remnants of her once beautiful yukata were torn and stained with blood, and she had blood nearly up to her elbows and her knees.

It couldn't be Hinata.

But it was.

Her eyes looked at the girl over his shoulder with the same concern he'd always come to associate with Hinata, and the surrealness of the moment ended as he realized they just didn't have time to worry about Hinata's apparent change right now. Instead, he looked at Hinata with relief and asked her the only question he could wrap his mind around.

"What should we do?" He shifted the injured girl on his back, and the blood flowing from her forehead started running down his arm. He winced.

Hinata looked at him with worry and then looked around at the battle. "Take the girl and go to the field about half a mile that way." She pointed down an alley, and Shikamaru tried to memorize it, tell it apart from the dozen other alleys that were identical in the dark.

"Then what?" he asked, shifting the injured girl yet again.

"Find the place where we left our masks, and wait."

"Wait? On what?" He looked at her in disbelief. But instead of answering, she threw a kunai past his face and dodged around him, already off to fight another enemy.

Shikamaru huffed and settled his injured patient better on his back before turning back towards the alley Hinata had pointed out.

This was such a drag.

*~~*

Blaze cursed heavily, dodging another kick and slamming a kunai deep in his enemy's throat. This wasn't even technically his fight. He wasn't Guild or Destruction. Another enemy down, and he made his decision. He had to tell his leader what was happening, and he had to get to safety.

Turning, he disappeared off into an alley, heading back for Force.

*~~*

Hinata leaned over yet another Guild ninja who had been taken out by the blast. This one too, was dead. No pulse under her fingers. She turned to the child he'd protected, caught under his dead weight. A light, thready pulse like a frightened bird jumped under her fingers and she breathed a sigh of relief, pushing the dead ninja off the unconscious girl.

Behind her, another Guild ninja was doing the same thing: checking the vitals of the people littering the ground. Four civilians and a severely injured ninja were huddled together, watching the fighting and fire consume the street. Hinata lifted the little girl and put her into the arms of the uninjured Guild-nin.

"Here, take them to the place I told you about before. Friends are waiting." The man's eyes flickered for a moment, and then he nodded, gathering up the others and herding them towards the alley Hinata had indicated. Behind him, Hinata watched their backs until they were out of sight.

Then she was off again, her heart pounding.

Besides Shikamaru, she hadn't seen another familiar face. She forced back every dark thought she could. She'd checked a lot of dead already, and her friends weren't among them.

But there were a lot of dead bodies, still. She pushed forward.

The kunai left her hands like lightning bolts, and she dodged through the melee as best she could. No one seemed to notice her coming, and no one tried to stop her going.

She did what she could, gathering up as many of the living as she could find and pointing them in the right direction, into Shikamaru's capable hands.

She did this tirelessly, until finally, finally, she came upon another familiar face.

The pallid, dying face of Kurenai-sensei.

For a long moment, Hinata's world stopped.

Kurenai was lying propped against a building, weakly holding a kunai in case someone attacked her. Her eyes followed Hinata's movements as the Hyuuga stumbled over to her sensei in disbelief.

"Hinata-chan?" the woman whispered in disbelief. This ninja surely could not be Hinata. As improved as Hinata had become, as capable a ninja as she was, Kurenai could not believe that Hinata could become so fierce on the battleground.

"Oh, sensei," the girl breathed, wiping blood from Kurenai's wound to inspect the damage. It was a deep gash in her side, bleeding out onto the pavement. Kurenai stared at Hinata, almost in shock. She jumped when the girl looked back up with determination in her eyes.

"Where is Asuma-sensei?" she asked, forcing a shred of cloth over Kurenai's wound, tightening it and holding back the blood as best she could. Kurenai blinked. This wasn't good. She hadn't even heard Hinata rip the cloth from Kurenai's outfit.

"He's out there, looking for you guys," Kurenai gestured faintly at the battle, then winced at the painful movement. Hinata's eyes darkened, and she put Kurenai's hands down hard over her wound.

"Don't die," she told her sternly and she turned back to the fight. Already, she could see Asuma-sensei, who was fighting off a group of Destruction shinobi. Without being asked, she joined him, taking out two of the five. When he'd killed the other three, he turned to thank his helper and flinched.

He'd never seen anything like an angry Hinata.

"Go back to Kurenai-sensei. Get her out of here," she told him fiercely. "She's dying."

Asuma paled, and Hinata directed him quickly to the place where Shikamaru would be waiting. Her body shaking, Hinata pressed forward.

She had to help as many as she could. And she could still fight.

After that, she didn't see anyone for what felt like eternity. She couldn't tell you how many people she cut down. It was one Destruction-nin after another, one dead Guild-nin after another. She became aware of a roaring noise at one point, but didn't stop, even when the heat of the fire made moving around insanely uncomfortable, bloodstained and weary as she was.

And then she stumbled upon something infinitely worse than her dying sensei.

A dead comrade.

She'd only met Husky a few times in passing, but he was infinitely more familiar than all of the unknown Guild ninja she'd seen so far. He'd clearly been too near to the stage, because his entire left side was burned black and crisp.

Hinata's heart went cold. Cold enough to fight back the heat of the raging fire. Cold enough to freeze each of these enemies in place and pierce them through the heart.

She wished she had time to say a prayer for a fallen comrade, but she still had to push forward. She still had to find survivors.

And finally, finally, she found hope.

As she rounded a corner, she found three familiar Guild-nin and two leaf-nin fighting and subduing a pack of Destruction-nin. The Guild-nin ran circles aroud them, anger to match Hinata's and Naruto's painting their faces, and the two leaf-nin wrapped them in rope as they knocked them out. At least, Hinata thought they were knocked out. The Destruction-nin had been hit so hard, it was possible they were dead.

"Fennec!" she shouted in relief. Fennec looked up, eyes wide. At some point, she'd shed her yukata, and clearly she'd planned to do this all along, because she was wearing her full uniform, which she must have hidden underneath. Behind her, Wolf and Boar had copied Naruto's example and ripped off their sleeves to fight. To her right were Ino and Sakura.

"VIXEN!" she roared, hugging the girl in relief. "Oh, kami, we thought you were dead!" She looked the girl up and down, clearly unperturbed by the blood.

"Fox-kun wants me to get you guys out," she said, her voice breaking slightly. Why, no matter how many people she got out, were none of them her most precious people? Kurenai-sensei excluded, who was dying from her injuries, Hinata had yet to see her friends. Ino and Sakura may have been from Konoha, but they were not the kinds of friends Hinata truly cherished.

Where was Kiba? Where was Shino? Where was Neji-niisan? Where was Naruto?

Holding back her first tears of shock, Hinata directed them to Shikamaru. As they left, they promised to gather as many others living as they could. Hinata grabbed Sakura's arm as she passed.

"Please, Kurenai-sensei is dying. Please, help her." The tears started to stream down Hinata's face, and she wiped her eyes with the back of her arm, causing blood to smear on her face.

Sakura looked her up and down. Hinata was a mess. She'd clearly been fighting harder than they had, and possibly for longer. And she was clearly on a mission. She nodded.

"I'll do everything I can." The group left, taking their prisoners and all the malice of the angered Guild-nin with them.

Hinata kept going. Further into the heart of the fighting. The fighting which would surely would never end.

As she turned around a corner, another enemy attacked. Hinata dodged, jamming her kunai into his stomach. As he went down, a second ninja in black appeared, his sword raised high to cut her from her blind spot.

And then the ninja's head fell off.

Under the spray of blood, Hinata felt like her world had tilted. Above her, Sasuke stood, stolen sword in hand. A second group of enemies attacked, and she watched as he dispatched them all almost effortlessly. Sticking the sword in the ground, he lifted her to her feet.

"Have you seen anyone else?" he asked her calmly, grabbing his sword and looking around. "I sent Sakura on with Ino and Fennec, but I'm not sure how far they got."

"I told them how to get somewhere safe. Shikamaru is there, with Asuma-sensei and Kurenai-sensei." She was presuming a lot. None of them might have made it. But she had to believe that they had.

Sasuke grunted and nodded, heading back into the fighting. Hinata followed, the two of them dispersing enemies left and right.

"Have you?" she asked, a few minutes later, after they had sent the closest enemies running either home or to their graves.

"No." He looked her over for the first time, surprised. Even he wasn't nearly as bloody as she was, and he was fighting with a sword.

"Shouldn't you be resting?" he asked her, looking around to determine which way they should go.

"I have to get as many people out as I can," she said, walking on towards the center of Guild territory. It sounded like all the fighting had moved from the burning stage of the festival to the area nearby Tigerdragon's mansion. The further they moved, the more apparent it became that she was right. It also became harder for Sasuke to see in the dark, as they were walking further and further from the fire's glow. Twice, Hinata had had to save him from wandering kunai. He was quickly growing frustrated. Finally, they stopped and Hinata turned to him.

"Go back to the stage. Get as many people out as you can. I'll go on and see if I can help Naruto-kun." Sasuke grit his teeth. He didn't want to abandon anyone, and he didn't want to feel incompetent. But it was true. He was having a hard time seeing in the dark. Hinata, with her Byakugan, had this advantage over him.

"Fine," he nodded, and after Hinata told him how to meet up with the others, he turned back to the stage. Hinata continued towards the sounds of fighting in the distance.

When Hinata found the fighting ten minutes later, she froze.

A hundred Destruction-ninja, at the very least, were fighting what had to be about twenty Guild-ninja. The only thing making a difference was that Naruto was fighting, shadow clones and all.

Hinata felt her heart jump at the sight of Shino, fighting nearby with a girl and an older man that Hinata hadn't met. Quickly she joined the three, pushing back their enemies as quickly as they could. Distantly, she could see Tigerdragon fighting back a group of his own enemies. One of his daughters and his generals were also nearby, engaged in fights of their own.

She still couldn't find Neji-niisan or Kiba.

And then she realized that the roaring sound earlier was coming from nearby.

More specifically, Naruto.

He'd transformed, past what she'd seen so far. Not only were his features feral, but a layer of bubbling red chakra was writhing over his skin, daring anyone to touch him.

Naruto's claws were bloody, a tribute to his anger. His eyes focused in and out as quickly as lightning, capturing his targets in his sights. He'd already stolen far more than enough weapons from the shinobi he was fighting, but the idiots who kept attacking him got the sharp ends of his claws, rather than their stolen weapons.

A third, pissed roar ripped from his throat, and a tail of chakra emerged from behind him, wiping out three ninja who tried to attack him from behind.

All at once, the Destruction-ninja seemed to realize their mistake.

This was not something to be fought.

As one, the head commanders of the fighting force, three tall, lanky Destruction-ninja who were staying back and out of danger, gave signals to their dying men. Signals of retreat.

The Destruction-ninja turned as one and tried to run. The slowest, the Guild-ninja caught, taking them to the pavement and knocking out.

The commanders were not so lucky. Naruto had been watching for something similar to what they had just done, and he had caught their signals.

And Naruto was pissed.

In one smooth motion, he cut through the reatreating Destruction-nin, who parted like the Red Sea when they realized he wasn't after them. In only a few moments, Naruto was behind the three commanders, his claws bared, a kunai in hand.

"Tell me who was behind this shit, and I might let you live," he hissed, the sound coming out demonic and low.

The three commanders stopped. Two of them were shaking, clearly familiar with what Naruto could do when angry. The other stood firm between the two.

"NOW!" Naruto bellowed, the sonic boom from his anger knocking them back into a wall.

"Okay! Okay! Don't kill me!" One of the men squealed, a coward to the core. "It was Li-"

blood spurted from the man's mouth, and the unafraid ninja pulled his kunai out of the man's throat before planting it in the third man's chest, effectively preventing them from giving Naruto any information.

"You bastard," the third man hissed, looking down at the hole in his chest, the light in his eyes already fading.

"You bastard," Naruto echoed, stalking up to the man, slamming him against the wall by his neck. The man plunged another kunai into Naruto's lung and waited. To his surprise, Naruto laughed darkly, yanking the weapon out and waiting. A few moments later, the hole began to close. The Destruction ninja paled.

"Now tell me," Naruto hissed into his ear. He gathered the boiling red chakra into his hand, slowly burning the man's throat. The man's eyes rolled, and a choked scream broke from his throat. Naruto eased up, disliking torture, and not wanting to kill the man until he had an answer.

"WHO?!" he boomed again. He lifted the man up higher, so that his feet couldn't touch the ground. The ninja caught his breath, closed his eyes, and looked at Naruto.

Then he pulled out another kunai and slit his own throat.

Naruto pursed his lips in disgust as the man bled out, and he threw the man's corpse down with his companions'.

"Bastard," Naruto hissed, turning back towards Tigerdragon's.

The sun started to rise over the city, and the shadows could no longer hide the full extent of the destruction.

In the street in front of Tigerdragon's mansion, a bloody kunoichi and a bloody shinobi met in a relieved hug.

In a field outside of town, two lovers exchanged endearments as one lie on her deathbed.

In the streets of Guild, dozens were still missing.

In the streets of Force, allies were building.

In the depths of Destruction, enemies were watching.

*~~*


	39. Chapter 39

*~~*

Tigerdragon turned to the Guild-nin who were in the street and told them to begin searching for survivors, and that any that they found were to be brought to the infirmary in the mansion.

He turned then, to Naruto, concerned. Naruto looked back at him, and then excused himself. He and Hinata needed to go check on whoever had made it to the field. Tigerdragon agreed, and let Shino accompany them, along with the girl and the older man, Bee and Wasp.

It was a long, exhausting journey. Only a ten minute walk, but to those who had fought for hours in the darkness of night and confusion and terror, a mindless task such as this was torture.

Finally, they entered the festival square, where dozens of civilians were putting out the last of the fires. Naruto and Hinata turned down the alley they'd already passed through several times that day, and winced at the blood that lined the pavement.

Too many wounded had passed down this road.

"It'll be okay," Naruto whisperd to Hinata, catching her hand and squeezing it tight. Hinata nodded, her heart squeezing. She hadn't save enough people. She just hadn't.

Naruto felt the same. They clung to each other's hands as a life preserver from the guilt.

As they neared the field, they heard a loud cheering. Surprised, the two looked up.

There, at the top of the hill, were their friends, clapping and cheering, crying out that Fox and Vixen were alive, crying tears of joy, screaming in a celebration of life. All around them, in the field of flowers, were hundreds of civilians and wounded, each of them cheering for their second and Hinata.

Naruto felt his heart skip a beat alongside Hinata's.

With surprised cries, they leapt into the crowd, Shino, Bee, and Wasp behind them.

*~~*

"Deer! Fennec! Kitten! Pig! Boar! Wolf! Teme!" Naruto hugged each of them in turn, overwhelmed with relief. So many of his friends, safe. Hinata was behind him, smiling, overcome with relief. They all HAD made it.

"Thank goodness," she whispered.

"Vixen-chan," a voice whispered nearby. Hinata looked over and started crying. Kurenai was grinning at her from her spot resting on Asuma's shoulder.

"Sensei!" she cried, running over and giving her a light hug. Kurenai chuckled. Sakura smiled.

"I promised I'd help," she smiled. "But luckily, Dolphin showed up and helped with the wounded. Apparently Wolf found her and told her how she could help us." She smiled over at Sasuke, who blushed and looked away.

Shino shuffled up behind them, and Kurenai frowned. "Does anyone know where...?" she trailed off. Everyone shook their heads. No, they didn't know where Kiba was.

Naruto came back over, and called everyone into silence. He told the crowd that the wounded were to go to Tigerdragon's mansion, and that the uninjured ninja were to immediately go to the perimeter of the territory and begin patrolling in shifts.

The crowd moved with surprising swiftness. Soon, all that remained was their small group of friends. Naruto looked over them with fondness and relief before explaining that they were all going to be moving into his mansion, until the end of the war. The others looked at him with surprise, but nodded.

Sakura offered to help Kurenai and Asuma get to Naruto's, and then to go with Asuma to collect their things. Ino agreed to collect Sakura's things while she, Boar, and Shikamaru went to collect their things and inform the remainder of Boar's squad.

Fennec went with Wolf to inform the rest of her team and collect their belongings.

Soon, only Hinata and Naruto remained on top of the hill.

"Look," Naruto whispered. Hinata looked down at their feet.

Their masks were where they had left them, but now they were kissing.

Hinata wondered how she could blush at a time like this, but she pushed the thought aside as Naruto laughed, pulling her arm. "Come on. We should get back. We're covered in blood."

Hinata looked down. She hadn't realized how filthy she'd become. The two walked back to Naruto's in a warm silence, the masks still kissing on the hillside.

*~~*

After two quick hot showers, Hinata and Naruto at least looked normal again. Naruto had suppressed the fox chakra, and he'd changed into a comfortable pair of blue pajamas before returning downstairs and relaxing on his sofa, waiting for everyone to arrive.

The events of the night were just beginning to gnaw at him with guilt when Hinata came downstairs in her own blue pajamas and joined him on the couch.

Slowly, slowly, the others began to arrive.

Sakura came, bearing Kurenai's stuff behind Asuma. Naruto smiled when he saw Gai come in behind them, his own stuff in his arms. With a worried expression, Gai asked about Lee. Naruto and Hinata returned his worried look and shook their heads. Gai frowned, but assured them that Lee would be fine. Naruto smiled and nodded, showing him to the room across from the one they had situated Kurenai in. Blushing, Asuma joined Kurenai in her room and shut the door. Naruto chuckled.

Leaving the west wing, where everyone was situated so far, Naruto led Sakura upstairs, into a room near Hinata's, showing her where the shower was. Hinata lent her an extra pair of clothes, and Sakura smiled her great relief. Hinata and Naruto returned downstairs.

Then, it was a flood of people.

Fennec's team entered, looking exhausted. Naruto could understand. He gave a nod to Sasuke, who briefly waved goodnight and went upstairs to shower and sleep. Fennec and her team thumped loudly through the front room and disappeared into the unoccupied east wing.

Naruto winced as he realized that the east wing was where his study was. The study where he'd kept his bracelet, and other important, private things. With a sigh, he went and locked that room, frowning when he noticed that Sasuke had blown up his desk with an explosive tag. He'd have to talk to the teme about that.

When he got back to his living room, Hinata was letting in Boar's team, Ino, and Shikamaru. Boar gave him a weary smile and trudged into the east wing without a word, his subordinates right behind him. Ino and Shikamaru started to follow, but Naruto pointed them to the west wing, where the other leaf ninja (Hinata, Sasuke, Sakura and himself excluded) were waiting. They gave him small smiles and disappeared into the back of the house.

Naruto frowned as he sat on the couch, his knees up to his chest, beside Hinata.

So many of their people were missing, still.

Kakashi. Kiba. Sparrow and Oriole. Gai's entire team. Chouji. Butterfly. Squirrel. Countless others.

Naruto dragged a hand through his hair and frowned. When Hinata took his hand and gave a gentle smile, he gave a pained smile back.

"I should be out looking for the others." But that wasn't his job. Others were out doing that, faster than he could be doing it. His job was here, watching the ones he could keep safe.

Shino, Wasp, and Bee arrived. Shino caught sight of Ino in the kitchen, and she showed him into the west wing. Wasp and Bee moved into the east wing.

Naruto stared at the door, his heart breaking. He should have seen this sort of attack coming! He could have protected everyone! He was so useless!

Hinata could read every emotion on his face. She squeezed his hand.

"This isn't your fault," she whispered. They sat in a long silence, listening to the voices of the others in the house, the sounds of them moving in. But it grated on both of them: where were the others?

By noon, no others had shown up. Exhausted, their minds running in circles, the two fell asleep, leaning against each other on the couch.

*~~*

Naruto woke the next morning with a start. He was covered up with a blanket from his room, and he was sprawled out on his sofa in the living room. With a curse, he threw back the blanket and looked around. No one was nearby. He could hear Fennec's boys and Boar's boys talking loudly about strategy and news in the east wing. In the west wing, there wasn't any noise at all. Upstairs, he could hear a shower running.

Frowning, he stretched, popping stiff muscles. He'd been asleep for about twenty four hours. He must have been more exhausted than he thought. He jogged up the stairs, blanket in hand, and threw it over his bed before grabbing a fresh pair of clothes and jumping in the second upstairs shower.

Wiping his hair out of his eyes, Naruto jogged back downstairs and into the kitchen. Fennec and Mouse were sitting around the table, drinking coffee. Naruto stopped dead.

"Squirrel? Fuzzy?" he turned to Mouse. He didn't know when she got here, but had she come alone, or with her teammates? Mouse shook her head, her eyes dark.

"I haven't seen them," she whispered, setting down her mug. "Chip's devastated. He won't talk to anyone." Naruto's heart twisted.

"Status report," he demanded, sitting down with a glass of water.

Fennec took a deep breath and started.

"Two hundred thirty eight dead at last count. Just Guild, that is. One hundred fifteen Destruction dead at last count. Of the two hundred thirty eight, one hundred twelve of them were ninja. The other one hundred twenty six were civilians. Most of them caught in the blast. Bat has determined that it was a timed explosive, set before the festival even began, by someone very talented with explosives. If Oriole were here, she would probably be able to identify the culprit just by seeing the thing. But she hasn't made it back yet. We believe she's still alive. She isn't among the dead they've found so far."

Naruto shut his eyes and winced. "Who is?"

Mouse stared down into her coffee and sniffed. "Husky. Crocodile. Owl. Rhino..." the list went on for around a minute, until Naruto cut her off. He'd known nearly all of those ninja. Some of them had been good friends and rivals, though most he'd only met several times in passing or to give them missions.

"Who's made it back?" he asked hoarsely.

Fennec gave him a small, sad smile, fingering her ponytails. "Sparrow's team showed up yesterday sometime after you all fell asleep. Everyone but Oriole and Sparrow. They haven't seen them. Finch's arm is broken, but she'll recover. Thrush got burned pretty badly in the blast. She might be scarred, but she'll live. Wren, Mockingbird, and Nightingale are fine. Minor injuries. They're in the east wing with us."

"Squirrel's team, also," Mouse gave a small smile. "Chip and I weren't anywhere near the explosion, so we managed to escape the danger pretty quickly. Shrew, Rat, and Groundhog got scraped up in the fighting, but they'll be ok. We joined the others in the east wing."

Naruto took a deep breath. "And no one's heard anything else about the others?" The girls shook their heads. Just then, Hinata walked into the room, a sad frown on her face.

"I need to go see sensei. To see if there's anything else I can do. We need to plan as soon as possible." Naruto got up and left, leaving the others staring out past him, sad looks on their faces.

"Vixen-chan," Mouse beckoned Hinata over. Hinata sat, looking at the two girls. Everything just felt so unreal.

"It'll be okay," Fennec smiled, showing her sharp teeth. "Your cousin and your teammates are fighters. And if anyone can survive, it's Fox's friends. Don't worry."

Hinata smiled. Naruto had such good friends.

She looked up at the door he'd left through, her heart aching.

*~~*


	40. Chapter 40

*~~*

"Damn them," Squirrel hissed, her long hair falling into her eyes, having come out of its braid. She'd been burned by the blast, and her right side was flaring in agony. Nearby, Lee was looking out around an alley, ignoring a similar burn on his left side. The Destruction ninja were running amok in the streets, and Lee and Squirrel were relatively helpess. They didn't have a single weapon, and neither of them were in any shape to be doing taijutsu. Lee limped back over to her, helping her to her feet.

"What should we do?" he whispered, keeping them back in the shadows of the alley as ninja ran past, fighting.

"I know a place," she whispered back, pain seeping into her voice. She smiled at the concern in Lee's eyes, but started pulling him in the direction of a safe place she knew.

"We can't just leave them!" he whispered, pulling back.

"We have to," she hissed, pulling him forward, careful not to jolt his burned side. "We can't fight like this. Right now, we have to focus on staying alive." Lee grit his teeth but followed obediently after that. It was something similar to what Gai would have told him, and he had to heed her wisdom in this matter.

It took forever to get there. Finally, though, she turned a corner and stopped. Just as she was pulling some siding off of a building, revealing a door, a dark laugh came down the dark street.

"Looky here," the voice echoed down the street, bouncing off the bricks of the empty houses. "Little Guild-rats." A huge man lumbered down the street, his bulging muscles ripping his black Destruction uniform to shreds around him. His dirty black hair stuck out at angles from his head, and his dark eyes shone with madness in the night light. Lee felt Squirrel freeze beside him, taking in their odds of victory.

Burned as they were, without weapons, in the dark, against this giant, there wasn't a lot in their favor.

Lee pushed open the first chakra gate without thinking about it. "Stay down," he whispered, pushing her into a shadowy corner and stepping out into the street. Squirrel's eyes opened wide, and she began looking around for some kind of weapon.

The man laughed and lunged forward, faster than they would have expected. Lee was ready, shift right, careful not to pull too much on his burned side. The man swung his arm out, missing and frowning when Lee suddenly disappeared.

"The hell?" he grunted, turning around. As he looked around, he noticed Squirrel huddling in the shadows and grinned. He reached back and then threw his full weight into a punch, aiming for her burned side. A force like a boulder slammed him in the face, knocking him across the street and into a house. The man roared, clutching his face. Lee stood in front of Squirrel, panting. He'd had to open the second gate suddenly in order to rescue her, and now his burn was screaming. He clenched his fist and started to run at the giant again, ready.

The man roared, stood. His arm whipped out, knocking Lee back. Lee somersaulted over the giant's arm, landing behind him and catching him in the back of the neck with his elbow. There was a sickening crack, and the man went flying back across the street, landing at Squirrel's feet. Both ninja breathed a sigh of relief. They were safe.

Then the Destruction ninja jumped up, his neck still twisted, and laughed. Squirrel reacted. She picked up a sharp piece of metal from the street and launched it at his heart. The giant's mouth twisted in disbelief as blood spurted from the wound and he fell over, dying.

Numb, Lee closed the two chakra gates and followed a quiet Squirrel through the secret door of her safehouse.

*~~*

For this story, I'm afraid this is where I've hit the wall. I have been writing this story for the last three years, and I have continued working on it, so don't give up all hope. My friends torment me ruthlessly until I add more to the story, so it will probably be finished within the next year, year and a half.

If you like this story, and want me to work more on it, or have ideas or questions, please review with your comments/questions.

Additionally, there is another story I have up, which is only a list of drabbles. However, these drabbles are all focusing on the characters in this story, and are set in the same universe as The Color Blue.

Finally, there is a prequel to this story in the works. I have only about three or four chapters for it on my computer, but I really dislike what I have so far and have hit another metaphorical wall in regards to the plot. When I work these kinks out, it, too, will be posted.

I hope you enjoyed what I have written so far of The Color Blue, and I hope to update with newer chapters shorty.

(It will be a few weeks, however, as finals are next week).


	41. Chapter 41

Firstly, I would like to apologize for this chapter taking so long. I had no internet connection over winter break (which was four weeks long after finals, and I had totally forgotten it would be that long) so I didn't bother writing because I was too depressed about the lack of internet.

For the last three weeks (or two weeks and these three days) I have been trying to get back into the groove of writing, because I made a resolution to at update at least once a week. (A resolution that is failing, because I'm simply not inspired to write very much for this story right now, and I'm exhausted. 20 credit hours and a part time job do that to a person. I'm working on it, believe me.)

Inspired Thanks go out to Loki, whose art finally kicked my exhausted ass into gear.

Special Thanks also go out to the following:

SkylinesProwlTheDark, for being the first reviewer, and for actually reading all the way through before offering up an opinion

Leaf Ranger, for liking the story, and for offering up opinions on where the story should be headed

Vamp302, for reviewing :D

wiccan_sweetheart, for making me so very happy with what you said

Del21, for the enthusiasm with which you reviewed…three times XD

kb, for wishing me luck on my finals and reading my story :D

and Zeromaru Chaos Mode, for thinking the story will be interesting, and for admitting that my ginormous, Bleach-reminiscent cast is going to be hard to remember XD

Onto the show.

"Goddamn," Oriole hissed, the wind stealing her words as she darted down the alleyway. Neji was behind her, a shadow in the darkness. Not far behind she could hear the distorted cries of Destruction-nin attempting to pursue them. The duo was in the heart of Destruction territory, wounded and fatigued.

There was a metallic crash in front of them, and Oriole skidded to a stop, catching Neji's hand and pulling them both flush against the cold, cold brick of the building nearby.

From the pooling light at the end of the alley, they could see a stumbling human shape drag itself out of a pile of garbage, the discarded can rolling out of the light with a hollow, tinny noise. Oriole's heart beat too fast in her bruised chest. Neji's hand was clammy against her own.

A manic laugh emanated from the lumbering figure, too dark even in the small patch of light for the duo to make out. Chewing her lip, Oriole released Neji's hand and removed her last kunai from her belt, careful to not make any noise. Nervous, anticipatory nerves misfired when she felt Neji sidle up behind her, his right arm wrapping around her waist and pulling her back into the inky alleyway. She hissed quietly in response, every hair on the back of her arms standing on end. She could almost hear his amusement as he pulled her.

"Calm down, it's not a ninja," he whispered, his breath warm on her ear.

And then she thought, _duh_, because Neji had the Byakugan. He'd told her that.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she slid her kunai back into its pouch, and they launched themselves onto the roof of the building, ready to make their escape.

They hadn't meant to invade Destruction territory. What they _had_ been attempting to do was follow Naruto as he tore off down the square, and they'd made a series of detours around groups of enemy ninja. Somewhere along the way, between the pain in Oriole's ribs and Neji's dislocated left shoulder, they'd made a wrong turn.

Three nerve-teasing minutes passed as they ran unmolested across Destruction. Below them, waves of Destruction-nin retreated back into the heart of the territory, dragging captives from Guild and Honor. Screaming, Oriole threw bombs into several nearby groups of ninja, shoving the surprised Guild-nin back in the direction of Tigerdragon's mansion and slitting the throats of their captors.

Behind her, Neji freed several Honor-nin, careful of his arm, but sure and steady even in the dark.

Then a great thundering noise roared up behind them, consuming them in fire and piercing wind. Screaming, they were thrown down another alleyway and out into a grassy park. Sobbing, Oriole nursed her burned hand as she slid her body out of a swing. Her eyes roamed, picking Neji out of the dark. He was laid across the teeter-totter, the entire back of his shirt burned away. His back looked shiny and red in the moonlight.

"Falcon-kun!"

A man's child-like laugh ricocheted out of the burning alleyway, and Oriole spun, training her eyes on the blazing portal as she inched ever closer to Neji's unconscious body.

"Falcon-kun," she hissed, running her hand down his leg, trying to wake him without jostling his burns.

The laugh echoed again, spinning high into the air with the flames from the alley. A tall young man stepped out, the fringes of his black shirt smoldering with flames. With a smirk and a chuckle he wiped them away, his bare hands deft over the skittering flames.

Oriole cursed and removed her kunai again.

The man continued to walk forward. His short black hair rippled in the heat and wind. A manic grin lined his face as he removed a small, round bomb from a pocket on each side of his pants.

"Ah, Oriole-sama. I was wondering when I'd have the honor to destroy my finest opponent." He laughed again, snapping the button on one of the bombs, brushing his hair back while the bomb ticked furiously in his hand.

"God damn you, Limnic," Oriole whispered.

Limnic tossed the bomb lazily, and Oriole watched it sail towards them in slow motion.

"Ciao, Oriole-sama."


	42. Chapter 42

Thanks again for everyone who is favorite me, my story, or putting me on alert! I really appreciate it. It's good to know someone is enjoying this. This chapter's short, because I have to go to class in...nine minutes, lol. Less by the time I write this out and post. Whoops. Oh, well.

Thanks go out to

DOOOOOM Lord of Waffles (did I spell it right?) for making me laugh with his/her screenname EVERY time I check my mail.

Star for your enthusiasm

and destinyswindow for her love of Oriole.

Also, Fennec demands fanart! (I have this on the authority of the actual Fennec, and not simply my imagination XD) So if anyone would please draw us some fanart and send me some links, I'm willing to do something awesome for you fic-wise! We'll see when I get some art.

Thanks again everyone!

The bomb exploded in front of Oriole's eyes with a blinding flash. She threw up her injured hand to shield her retinas, but it was already too late. She grit her teeth and waited for the hot rush of flame to engulf her, and blinked blearily when they didn't.

"You won't get away with this!" came an angry girl's voice, high and pretty and very, very pissed.

"Who the bloody hell are you?!" Limnic roared. Oriole backed up slowly, feeling behind her with her feet. She couldn't see, and Neji was incapacitated.

"Are you okay?" a male voice asked, and big hands pulled her back to safety.

"What's going on?" she rasped, pressing gently at her sore eyes until he took her hands away.

"Butterfly and I are going to get you outta here. Just hold on."

Oriole's brain skittered to a stop. Butterfly? Then, this was Fox's friend, the chubby one.

"No, you guys, you can't," she gasped. "Limnic, he's a pro. No one's been able to take him down and we've been trying for years."

"Chill. No one said we were gonna try. The way I figure, you'd want to do that to him yourself when you see what he's done to Ne- I mean Falcon. He's burnt really bad."

"I saw," she whispered, her ear trained on the clanging kunai sounds on the other side of the park. "How did you set off that bomb?"

"The one that almost hit you? Butterfly threw a kunai with an explosive tag on it. Set it off just in time, from the looks of it. Your eyebrows are a bit singed."

"That utter bastard," she hissed. "Here." She rummaged through her pocket and handed him a small black ball.

"What the Hell is this?" She felt his hands leave her arms for a second and she darted off, a bright white screen over her vision.

"Fuck!" she heard him yell behind her. But she was already too far away for him to catch. She fished back into her pockets, snatching out a small shuriken with a ball in the middle. Picking out the tinging noise of kunai and the sound of Limnic's voice, she darted across the park, hoping like Hell she didn't trip over a sandbox and make herself look foolish.

"Oriole, no!" she heard Butterfly scream, then a slash of flesh and cloth as Limnic landed a blow. Judging the distance, she threw.

"RUN!" yelled Oriole, backpedalling as fast as she could, tripping and dragging herself away.

"What the Hell?" Limnic growled. Then there was a bang so loud that it caused a faint boop noise to echo in Oriole's skull and she dragged herself as far as she could before the pain in her hand forced her to stop.

"You crazy, batshit girl," Chouji growled as he hefted her over his shoulder. "He ran away, but I think you've broken your hand."

Oriole laughed weakly, her entire body pounding as her consciousness poured out of her skull.


	43. Chapter 43

So, in an effort to make up for the 2-3 weeks of not posting at the beginning of the year, I'm adding an extra chapter this week. Yay! Now I'm only 1-2 posts behind, lol. See, told you I'm working on it!

On another note. Fennec AND Oriole want fanart, now. Of any characters from any scene. They're begging me for it, actually. So if anyone could comply that'd be awesome! I'd really love to see these characters really come to life.

Four have already been done at deviantart. I can't post the links, but if you visit

Kado-Kattsune, you'll find at least four Quadgram pictures and the beginning of this story back when she began to host it for me :D

So please draw more for the girls and me! Seeya!

******

Kakashi turned the corner in the dark and stopped, his feet skidding on some gunk in the alleyway.

"Damn," he whispered. Because somehow, during the night, he'd taken a wrong turn. Cursing Husky's insight – how many times had the fool told him that it was easy to take a wrong turn?- Kakashi turned around and tried to trace his steps back to Guild.

"Ooooh, shows us again!" came a squealing girl's voice around the corner. Kakashi froze. It didn't sound like an enemy, but it didn't sound particularly inviting, either. He slipped his hand into his vest and removed a small shard of mirror, angling it to see into the street. Faint gas lights lining the road didn't do much to show him the situation, but he could see that a group of young, scantily-clad women were chatting noisily as they entered a bar.

Kakashi looked down at himself again and winced. He'd follow after and blend into the group, but he was covered head to toe in blue. And while he certainly wasn't in Destruction territory- he hadn't been pursued for the last twenty minutes- he wasn't in Guild, either.

Which left Force or Honor.

And Kakashi didn't know enough about either to risk diving into an unknown bar for a moment's rest.

"Ahahaahaha, you flatter me, you FLATTER ME!" a booming male voice echoed down the street, and Kakashi froze with his hand halfway to returning the mirror to his vest.

It couldn't be.

Kakashi jerked the mirror back to the edge of the alley and angled it, almost snapping it in frustration when he couldn't catch a good image in the distorted gas light. Taking a deep breath, he replaced the mirror and stretched his leg muscles in case he'd need to run.

Then he leaned out of the alleyway and stared down it.

In the middle of the gaggle of loitering girls was a tall, white haired man with a pervy smile and a boisterous laugh.

"Jiraiya!" Kakashi yelled, waving a hand casually from where he stood. Hopefully in the shadows as he was, the girls wouldn't notice his blue clothes. Or the thing that looked suspiciously like a rotten banana peel stuck to his shoe.

The group turned, and Jiraiya's mouth fell. "Kakashi," he sighed out. With some grumbling and a few shooing motions, he dismissed his companions and trudged over to the copy-nin.

"Kakashi," he repeated, a rumbling sigh in his chest. "What the Hell? I mean, I give you Naruto back for five minutes, and you've already let him disappear back into the Kyuubi's hold. I mean, what does a sage have to do around here to get a little vacation time?" He stood in a defiant pose, his hand on his hip and a look on his face that dared Kakashi to defy him.

Kakashi grimaced. "Well, we can't all keep an eye on him 24/7. And anyway, that's not important at the moment. What I really need to know is where we are. I got turned around earlier after an explosion in the square, and I don't know if it's technically safe for me to be out in the open talking right now."

"Ah," Jiraiya turned serious in a flash. "Here." He stepped back into the alley, making a disgusted face as his geta dragged over the same sludge covering Kakashi's shoe. Kakashi followed him, casting his eye around quickly to make sure they had no uninvited guests.

"What the Hell's been going on here? Tsunade wouldn't give me any information, and then I got that cryptic message from you. What the Hell?"

"Naruto's been showing disturbing signs that the fox has gained more control. Its chakra is more easily able to take control here. Anyway, you never said where we were."

"Well, I don't know. I haven't been here before. " Jiraiya rubbed his face thoughtfully, but Kakashi could see it was a move to stall answering.

"What color was everyone wearing?"

"Color?"

"Just answer."  
"Now that you mention it, a lot of people were wearing green."

"Crap," Kakashi sighed. Jiraiya blinked widely, not understanding.

"Yes, crap indeed," came a sarcastic voice behind them. Kakashi turned slowly, showing his hands. The last thing they needed was an unnecessary fight.

"I'm lost," he blurted, casting an eye at Jiraiya. "Well, both of us are lost. I'm trying to get back-"

"To Guild," said the teenage boy. He was average height, with thick muscles and long black hair. "I'm aware. Your blue was visible for miles, even in this alley." He sneered and stepped forward, arms crossed.

"We don't mean any harm. There was an attack on Guild earlier tonight; Destruction and some sort of explosion. We're just trying to get back." Kakashi knew Jiraiya had some kunai on him, but he wasn't sure if he could get to his own. The Honor-nin was already a few feet in front of him, so close that Kakashi could see the boy's glaring black eyes.

"You know," said the boy, smirking, "we had a break in not too long ago. We questioned some Force brats and some Destruction slugs, but they didn't know anything about it. Who do you think that leaves?" Kakashi winced in his mind but smiled at the boy.

"Well, I would say that makes us look pretty likely. Are we going to get to leave?"

"Not so fast, not so fast. I've already heard from a friend of mine that Destruction's retreated for the day. Night. Whatever. So you don't need to go anywhere just yet. I'm sure Trustworthy-sama would just _love_ to meet you. "

"You know we can't do that," Kakashi sighed.

"I was sorta hopin' you'd say that," the Honor-nin sneered.

"Tact!" shouted a girl behind him, running up behind the Honor-nin and smacking him across the back of the head.

"God, I'm sorry," she said to the Leaf-nin, shaking her head before glaring at the boy again. "Tact is really misnamed. He's got some issues with other factions, and even after Trustworthy-sama said she wanted to _help_!" She grabbed Tact again and shook him before shoving him aside.

"I'm sorry," she apologized again, bowing deeply. "I'm Unity. Trustworthy-sama has asked us to gather any stray ninja from the battle and take them to her for help. Would you please come with me?

Kakashi blinked and looked at Jiraiya, who was busily ogling Unity's breasts.

"I think we'd better," Jiraiya nodded with a grin. "So, Unity, tell me how you bring everyone together."

"Bastard!" shouted Tact, lunging at him from the ground. Kakashi caught him and hauled him up by the scruff of his shirt.

"Now, now. I think she can take care of herself." Sure enough, Unity had already planted a rather deep handprint across the lecher's cheek.

"As I was _saying_," hissed the girl. "Onto Trustworthy-sama's."

She slipped back onto the main roadway. Tact batted away Kakashi's grip and followed after, though not before shooting a murderous look at both Leaf-nin.

"Get a move on, ya bastards!" he yelled, waving them on.

Kakashi and Jiraiya followed after.

***

As one final note, has anyone gone to check out my giant collection of one-shots? Some of them you'll have to skip because they'll reveal things The Color Blue hasn't gotten to just yet, but a good deal of them gives the characters in this story (even those I didn't create, like Naruto) more depth and personality. Please go to my profile to find it and then check it out if you haven't already! There just wasn't room in this fic to include all the side stories, lol.

Also, I've started a blog, so that it's easier to write out your opinions without writing a ginormous review.

My blog (under a different alias, because someone took mine already on here :/ ) iridescentraziel . wordpress. com


	44. Chapter 44

Sorry that the update took so long guys. And that a lot of people got impatient with me. But look, I've made this obvious before. I'm really, really busy. In the last two weeks, I've had six exams, a three page spanish essay, and work. Also, I've been really dizzy and weak this last week, and I think I might have anemia. So given all that, stop whining that I'm running behind. I'm doing my best. I'm not going to kill myself or flunk out of college to give you your story fix.

I do really, really appreciate how much you want to hear the end of this story. Honestly. It helps get me through the busy and crappy weeks.

And I'm super excited because I just realized today that I have 36 reviews. It made me really happy. Just calm down about the updating. I've already made a commitment to finish the story.

Anyway.

Has anyone done any art? Fennec and Oriole are still waiting for it. And now Sparrow is, too. And Squirrel. I have it on their authorities. And, like I said, I have a special surprise for anyone who gets them some artwork. :D

Finally, in a sort of apology for making you wait, I've written an extra long chapter (relatively). I hope to get more out soon. As soon as I get a waking, non-dizzy moment and some more inspiration! (And hopefully some fanart!)

"Dammit, Akamaru," Kiba growled, feeling his way down the street. Even for him, it was too dark. The buildings, which should have been filled with soft light, were charred and crumbling.

"Can't you see anything?" His voice caught, and he stopped long enough for the dog to catch up to him. Akamaru whined and shifted, licking Kiba's hand. Kiba ran his hand over the dog's head, then down his neck until he reached the lump on Akamaru's back. The lump groaned in pain but didn't move. Kiba snatched his hand back as though burned.

"Fuck, Sparrow. Fuck." Kiba grit his teeth and turned back around, careful not to trip as he used the nearby building to guide himself down the street. Sparrow had been badly injured in the blast- though how badly, Kiba couldn't say. He wasn't a med-nin.

"Shit," he hissed, reaching back for Akamaru again. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know if it would be better to leave Sparrow somewhere safe with Akamaru, or to keep them with him so he at least knew where they were. He didn't know if her injuries were being made worse by his towing her around.

Kiba slid his hand into his pocket and removed a small wick-light. He only had the one, but now wasn't the time to be saving it. He lit the small wick with a match and watched it light; the small glass bottle filled with oil shone in the dark. Kiba flinched, his eyes stinging in the renewed light. Akamaru whined, and Kiba looked around quickly. They were on a deserted street, surrounded by decrepit buildings and more than a few corpses wearing both blue and black.

Shivers crept up Kiba's spine. He'd been tripping over bodies.

Why hadn't he smelled it? He sniffed again. Oil from his light. Akamaru's fur. Ashes. Sparrow's blood.

Kiba growled. No surprise, then. He was too distracted by that last smell to have bothered with the very faint smell of death.

"Come on, Akamaru," he ordered, marching down the street. He took care to step over the bodies, relieved when the corpses became less abundant. He'd walked a block in the dark before Sparrow moaned again. He turned to her, careful with her blood-spattered face as he helped her lift her head.

"Shepherd-kun?"

"Yeah. Don't move too much. We got you." She made a small accepting noise but looked around vigilantly.

"Why…" she coughed. Blood spattered out of her mouth and dribbled down her chin. Kiba scrabbled for his flask and brought it to her lips. She drank a sip and coughed again, her eyes clamping closed. When she opened them again, he could see they were dull with pain. He gripped the flask so hard that his fingers turned white.

"Why…are we in the …backgrove…" she rasped. He noticed that her entire right sleeve was burned away- something he hadn't caught when he was desperately trying to get her away from the fighting. The skin where Sparrow's sleeves should have been was angry and red, blood caking on top of her burn.

Sparrow coughed again, clenching Akamaru's fur with her good hand. Kiba's stomach tightened in terror.

"The what?" He could barely breathe. She winced.

"Backgrove…behind Tigerdragon's….mansion…" Kiba thrust the flask at her, pouring more liquid in her mouth. She smiled up at him.

"Backgrove? Haven't heard of it. The stage blew up- remember that?" She gave a light nod.

"You-you weren't moving-" He'd almost said, "You got hurt," but as that was glaringly obvious, he'd reworded. "So I grabbed you and Akamaru and ran."

Kiba blinked. "Are there supposed to be people back here?" She nodded.

"Lots!" she croaked. Kiba winced. The bodies. He didn't suppose even Tigerdragon's civilians would go down without fighting.

"Do you know how to get back?" he put his hand over her good one. Her skin was cold and clammy under his hand's burning heat. She nodded and he smiled, lifting his light so that she could see the surrounding buildings, but not the corpses.

She gasped.

Kiba turned with a wince, expecting to see a body within the light's range. Instead, he had to blink and narrow his eyes to catch the whisper of movement just beyond the light.

"Who's there?!"

A chime-like laugh echoed out from the darkness. Kiba set the light down on the ground and crouched next to Akamaru, kunai in hand.

"I _said,_ who's there?!"

There was another laugh, and the shadows danced as a black boot stepped into the light. Kiba growled and clenched his kunai tighter, his eyes flickering to Sparrow.

"You don't need to know my name. After all, you'll be dead soon." A figure stepped into the light. Kiba spat angrily.

"What the Hell are you talking about? You're just a kid!" It was true. A young woman stood in the outer ring of wick-light, her black vest and pants blending with the shadows behind her. She was clearly a few years younger than them, her platinum blonde hair sheared just past her ears. She held a silver ball in her left hand, a glinting kunai in her right.

"A kid?" She pursed her lips. It was clearly the wrong thing to say. "I'd say I've long since passed being a kid." She chuckled, a tinkling, hair-raising noise that made Akamaru whine.

"Why? Why do this? Why should Destruction and Guild fight?" Kiba inched back, tapping Akamaru to signal him to retreat slowly.

"Why?" her voice was almost musical, but it was so chilling that he could feel her rage through her words. "Why? Let's see. Well, to be honest, I don't know or care why Destruction wants to take you losers out. Not at all. But me? I want to destroy you all so much it burns." She grinned and started tossing the small ball in the air.

"Why? What did they ever do to you?" Kiba tapped the dog, and Akamaru inched further backwards.

The girl growled. "Enough of this. I can see you stalling." She threw the kunai and it whizzed through the air, shattering the glass bottle. The oil exploded into a small fire ball, and they were thrown into darkness.

"Dammit," Kiba growled, shoving Akamaru back and running forward. More tinkling laughter passed him, and he backpedaled, skidding on the dusty road. She'd passed him?

"Sparrow!" Kiba screamed, launching back to them. The darkness rushed up on him, flattening him on his back. The girl laughed wildly.

"Gotcha," she hissed, her mouth on his ear. Kiba lunged with his kunai, gasping when it grazed her shirt. She planted her own kunai in his gut. He gurgled and glared up, trying to see her in the pitch darkness. There was a prickling silence, then he could see a glint in the dark from her hair.

Kiba stabbed, his full force behind his blow. There was a scream, and he felt her pull away.

"You BASTARD!" she screamed. Where was she? He stood, cradling the bloody hole in his stomach. "You utter bastard," she repeated, her voice silky and low. "Right in my arm, eh? I'll show you something good, then." She started chuckling again, and Kiba shivered. This girl was seriously freaky. She had something wrong with her head.

Careful of his wound, he backed away from where he could hear her laughing. There was the noise of clattering gravel, and a rush of wind.

"I see you."

Kiba gasped, but it was too late. She'd already latched onto him, her arm around his neck. She slammed something metallic and hard into his face, smashing his nose. He screamed in pain, his hands scrabbling over his features, cold blood running over his hands.

"Wha-" That made no sense. His hands felt cold now, too. The icy sensation crept up his nose and over his cheeks. It washed down over his chin, crusted over his eyes. He tried to scream, but it was being cut off by the suddenly cool air sweeping down his throat.

A crystalline, mad laughter ricocheted through his ears before they capped over with ice.

"You wanted my name earlier, right? It's Frostbite. And that's my favorite weapon, my snowball freeze!"

Kiba fought with the ice, his nails scraping at it and tearing off chunks from his ears and nose. He gagged as more cloyed its way down his throat.

Gasping, he tore more off of his eyes to see that Frostbite had lit another wick-light and was holding it over him, her face drawn.

"Not dead yet?" she sounded apathetic. "You will be, soon." She kicked his side, and he choked as he was reminded very painfully of his stomach wound. She stared down at him with a frown.

"It's a pity you're working for the bastards," she sighed. "You're very pretty. I could have spared you." She winced as he gagged on more ice, his hands beginning to freeze over as well.

"NO!" Frostbite spun. Sparrow was there behind her, tossing the Destruction-nin away with a rough punch to the face. Frostbite fell, clutching her nose, while Sparrow collapsed next to Kiba.

"Shepherd-kun," she coughed. She grabbed Frostbite's fallen wick-light and tore out the small fabric wick, holding it carefully so that it didn't burn her. Then she took a small sip of the oil and held it in her cheeks.

After a small inhale, she breathed out, holding the burning wick in front of her lips. Fire flared out over Kiba's prone body, spreading out in a fan pattern. Sparrow's lips were singeing, but she kept blowing steadily. The ice was melting slowly from Kiba's face, and he started to choke as the water melted in his throat. Finally, the last of the oil left her mouth and Sparrow spit, replacing the wick in the light. Kiba rolled over and coughed, dislodging the ice water.

"You'll regret that," Frostbite laughed, holding her nose gently. Her dark black eyes flashed like ice chips and Sparrow coughed, blood and oil spittle covering her hand.

"You damned Guild-scum," she hissed, another metal ball in hand. "You think you can just do whatever the Hell you want." She stomped over and lifted Sparrow so that they were face to face. From behind, Kiba could see the girl's injuries were worse than he'd initially thought.

Frostbite held Sparrow so that their eyes met and she glared her iciest glare into the other girl's green eyes. Sparrow gasped, her hand coming up almost of its own will. Frostbite screamed and grabbed it, clenching it until Sparrow cried out in pain. Even then, she clenched harder, until Sparrow could hear the bones grind in her palm.

"Enough!" came a third girl's voice. A figure in a tan cloak rushed from the darkness, kicking Frostbite to one side. Her hand emerged from her cloak with several explosive tags and she threw them. The three watched as Frostbite dodged, just barely getting caught in the last wave of explosives. She flew back from the blast, colliding with the building behind her and causing it to collapse on top of her.

The newcomer waited to see if she'd reemerge. When Frostbite didn't reappear, the woman in the cloak leaned down and removed her hood, helping Sparrow to her feet.

"Aelu?" Sparrow gasped, her voice breaking. Blood spurted from her burnt lips and spattered onto Aelu's cloak. The pink haired girl looked at her gently, her teal eyes limpid in the dying wick-light.

"Hi, Sparrow-chan," she whispered.

"God damn it," came a sob from the building. The two girls turned and watched as Frostbite limped from the rubble, blood running down her hair as she moved.

Frostbite reached into her pockets and removed more bombs, backing away slowly.

"You damn Guild-rats won't get me," she promised, throwing them as far as she could. They didn't come close, but they could hear the ice crackling as the Destruction-nin ran away.

Aelu dashed forward, ready to pursue, but froze when she felt Sparrow's arm around her waist. The girl was sobbing from her burns and her other injuries, and Aelu felt her stomach lurch.

"I can't just let her get away," Aelu asserted, trying to gently remove Sparrow's arms from her waist.

"Just let her go," Sparrow whispered, tears pooling on her chin. "You should be gone and you aren't. And..and..and I should be gone, but I'm not. I just want to accept that. I don't want anyone else to be gone. Please, let her go. And help me with Shepherd-kun."

There was a moment of indecision, and then Aelu slipped her kunai back into her holder. Her teal eyes shone in the darkness.

"Let's get you two back home."


	45. Chapter 45

I'd like to apologize for my long absence. At first, it was a lack of inspiration. I managed to write out this little slice (around a month or so ago?), in the hope that more would follow. Nothing did. Then, there was a personal tragedy in my family, and I've been struggling just to manage my *life*, let alone a story that I could barely dig up the urge to work on. I decided it was finally time to stop waffling and get this tidbit up- you guys deserve *something* for having waited so long.

Because it doesn't really transition into the next section, I've split it into two smaller chapters. I know it'll only take a few moments to read, but I feel they should be separated.

In light of the fact that I have finals next week, I've taken the sudden urge to write and run with it. So, there's another chapter to follow (freshly written), though I can say you shouldn't expect any more for at *least* a week. (Doesn't mean I won't use it as a means of procrastination for studying, though :p)

"Ino, please stop crying." Shikamaru knew it was wrong to use real names, but the situation was out of control. Ino had been sobbing off and on for the last hour, staring out the window in his room and threatening him certain death if Chouji and TenTen didn't make it back alive.

Chouji, he'd accept blame for. They were teammates. He should've gone to find him, Guild rules be damned. But he certainly couldn't be blamed for TenTen. He didn't even know the girls were friends. Or was it just one of those things, where all the kunoichi were close just by being kunoichi? He didn't know.

"Stop _crying?_ Chouji's _missing!_ Our Chouji, who used to-" she dissolved into another fit of tears. Shikamaru worried his lip and glared out the window. Damn, he had to get her out of here, soon. Who was she to get all upset at the loss of their teammate and take it out on him? Chouji was his goddamned _best friend_.

"Chouuujii," she whimpered, rubbing her eyes. A knock at the door saved Shikamaru from saying something cruel. Instead, he crossed the room and opened the door to a very frantic Boar.

"You guys have to come upstairs, _now!_ The scouts that were out looking for survivors just got back! You-" Boar froze as he caught sight of Ino rubbing her teary eyes. He shoved past Shikamaru, and the Leaf-nin rolled his eyes and shut the door behind him on his way out.

Come on, he thought. Be Chouji.

He was down the hallway faster than he'd ever willingly moved in his life.

The scene he emerged on was pure chaos. Everyone in the house had crowded in Naruto's giant kitchen, and were shouting and milling about so badly that he couldn't even pick familiar faces out the mess.

It was at times like these that he envied Naruto, who could and _would _part the bunch like the Red Sea in order to get at the heart of the matter.

Luckily Sasuke was there to do that in the blonde's stead.

"Move," he growled, shoving Fennec's teammates out of the way. Wolf was behind him, soothing ruffled feathers and helping to keep the gap open. Shikamaru oozed in behind them.

They cut through the crowd like a knife through butter, and as they passed everyone fell silent. Shikamaru saw Sakura run out of the crowd as the noise fell, and then heard the front door slam closed behind her.

Finally, the inner circle of people opened.

"Ah, Wolf-sans. Hello."

Squirrel and Lee.

Shikamaru slipped back into the crowd, close enough to listen to their story. They'd apparently been holed up in some basement that the younger Guild members had used as hidey-houses during their days as orphans and street rats. It had been one of the first safe places checked by the scouts, which included some of their friends. They, along with a fair number of missing people, about thirty or so, had been found there.

Rather than go on to Tigerdragon's place, which had been converted into a makeshift hospital, they'd opted to come to Naruto's, in order to assure the others they were alright.

The whole while they told the story, Chip and Mouse sat at the table with them, appraising their wounds. Apparently they'd sent Sakura out to get more supplies from Dolphin. They'd used up the last of them this morning changing the bandages on the wounded.

As the crowd chattered nervously and excitedly, someone shouted the question everyone most wanted to know the answer to.

Had they seen the others?

Shikamaru didn't have to wait for the answer. He already knew. He was halfway out of the crowd when the collective sigh slipped out. By the time the crowd started to dissipate, he was to the door. He needed air, badly.

He tugged the door open roughly, and the wind was knocked out of him.

"Hey, Shika, think you can help us out a bit here?"

Chouji chuckled and lifted the unconscious Neji higher on his back. Butterfly giggled and held the door open for them as they moved the two unconscious ninja into the room. Behind them, everyone was cheering quietly.

"Oh, shit," Sakura hissed as she looked in the open door, a bundle of bandages and assorted tubes in her arms. "Hey, Vixen, I need your help over here. Bat, go get more gauze. Tell Dolphin the thick kind. And some more of the ointment she just gave me."

The house was a flurry of activity.


	46. Chapter 46

Tigerdragon's war room used to frighten Naruto when he was younger. It was a cold expanse of space in the basement of the mansion, away from the main council room. A solid black marble table sat erect in the middle, with seven chairs pushed around it.

The highest chair, the black one that looked like a crown of thorns, was the leader's chair. When Tigerdragon sat in it, child Naruto had thought he'd looked like the devil. Powerful and terrifying and everything Naruto secretly feared at night.

The second chair was made of a mix of black and white marble, and it was rounded off at the edges to balance the spikes of the leader's chair. It was the second's chair. Naruto's chair.

Chairs three through six were the generals' seats. They varied in shape and color, but all of them were angular, emphasizing the power of the men inside them. Well, two of them did. Eagle sat straight-backed, his hands folded under his nose and his eyes clenched tight as he struggled to keep his temper. His spiky black hair stood in stark contrast to his paling skin. Kodiak sat a chair over, his big burly frame dwarfing the chair. His scraggly brown locks had been pulled back into a hasty knot, and his dark brown eyes glared harshly down at the map on the table before them.

The chair between them, and the chair between Naruto and Eagle sat empty.

Crocodile had been killed instantly in the blast, dancing with his young daughter. She'd escaped, heavily injured but protected by her father's quick reactions.

Rhino had died in the ensuing battle, clearing the way for civilians when he was attacked by a group of Destruction-nin.

Hane-baa-chan, Asayake's mother, sat in the final chair as the representative of the Tsuni witches. The chair wove over and around itself, like water carved from marble, and the older woman sat scowling it in, dragging a fraying nail over the smooth stone.

Naruto's fingernails were digging crimson half-moons into his palm as he listened to the others discuss in quiet, murderous tones.

"By rough estimates, the majority of our forces should be mobile by Wednesday," Kodiak rumbled. His eyes were dancing across the map, taking in details even as he reported. Naruto paused for a moment, calculating in his head. Wednesday? It was Sunday morning already, he was sure. He checked twice, careful to remember that they'd fought through the night.

"-older teams less prepared than we thought," Eagle reported icily. Naruto traced the conversation back in his head and winced. They were going to rely on the younger teams. His teams. Well, at least they were ready.

Tigerdragon turned the conversation to Hane Tsuni. The older woman looked out of place in the cold room, her teal dress and black cloak pulled tight around her.

"Asayake's missing," she hissed, rubbing her weathered hands over her face. Naruto was out of his seat before he could stop himself.

"What!?" His voice was barely there. Not again. He couldn't lose another person.

"She's been gone since the festival. We've looked everywhere, sent out every scout we could. Nobody's seen her. If you're going to need our powers, I'm afraid you'll have to rely on my sister and me."

Naruto dropped back into his seat, switching his nails to his knees to spare his palms.

"The intelligence indicates that this was only Destruction's opening move. If my spy is to be understood correctly, then there are over a thousand more people crammed in Destruction territory ready to act as fodder for our advances on the territory. Without assistance from Honor or Force, I don't think we'll stand a chance for very long," Tigerdragon admitted, tossing he intelligence sheet into the middle of the table. Eagle snatched it, devouring the information, searching for clues in the data.

"We can't be bothered to wait for that," Naruto argued. "If they surge into our borders again, we'll have nowhere to go but out. Our only option is to attack them first."

"But that won't happen until Wednesday," Kodiak reminded.

"So until then," Naruto continued, "we need to keep up our defenses, and pool our resources. I have to ask the others if they're still willing to go through with this. This is money to them, not…"

The others were looking at him with a mix of understanding and pity. They Leaf-nin were the boy's friends, but they were under no obligation to help.

"I can speak from experience that my sister and I can construct small illusions and barriers. We can confuse the fools and bar them from more important areas. But we'll be less effective without my daughter," Hane whispered. It was as though her light was going out. Naruto felt his heart jump, but scanned the map again instead, nodding.

"Put the barriers here and here," he said, tapping two areas on the map. They were two bigger streets that led through to the square. "Illusions at these points," he indicated less congested but problematic areas that would be too big to defend properly with the handful of operating ninja they had.

Hane nodded, memorizing the areas Naruto had indicated.

"For now, there are only a few genuine safe areas," Eagle said, circling several buildings on the map. "I know that the younger teams and the Leaf-nin are gathered at Fox-sama's home. But he has room for more, while there are civilians and ninja unprotected. And the injured are gathered at Tigerdragon-sama's. I propose we move the remaining ninja into Tigerdragon-sama's upper rooms, to protect the injured. The remaining civilians need to be split between Fox-sama's home and the Barracks. We've got more than enough room."

Tigerdragon and Naruto nodded. Naruto scratched some instructions on a blank scroll and slipped it back into his pocket.

"I think it's time to go," he said as he stood, his eyes catching on the others. "We've got a lot of work to do. I'm going to go set up more patrols, and get those civilians in, ASAP."

The generals rose and bowed, rolling up the map and marching out the door. They were on a mission to gather up those civilians, and the room seemed too oppressive without Rhino's raucous laughter and Crocodile's sarcasm.

Hane stood, her hands clasped and writhing together. "Look for her, please," she begged, engulfing Naruto in a weak hug.

"I can't bear to lose another daughter."

Naruto watched her go, his legs knocking together loudly. Tigerdragon pushed him back into his chair and stared at the empty seats around them.

There was a long silence where Naruto couldn't seem to gather his thoughts, and Tigerdragon wasn't sure what to say.

Finally, the older man sighed. "You'll have to fill those seats."

Naruto started and stared at the man in disbelief. "That's your job, sensei."

"Don't start that with me. I've filled them once. I don't have many years left in me for this job, Naruto. It's your turn to fill them, however hard it may be. Even if, in the end, you choose not to stay, I trust your decisions. I don't think you'll fail me."

Tigerdragon's eyes were shadowed, half-hidden by his hair and hands. Naruto looked at the two angled chairs and found it difficult to imagine anyone but Crocodile and Rhino in them.

"I'll do my best, sensei. But I'll have to go see who's back. Last time I checked, most of the people I'd ask were missing."

Tigerdragon nodded, a sort of sour laugh gathering in his throat. "Yes. Best of luck, Naruto."

For the first time in several hours, Naruto stepped from the war room. His eyes trailed back to the hunched form of his leader as the man rubbed his face vigorously, as though wiping something away.

"Is Father finished?" Dolphin whispered from her position at the door. Naruto gave her a lopsided grin and slid the door shut behind him.

"He's just finishing up a few last minute scrolls. He'll be right out."


	47. Chapter 47

Found some time to write some more, yay! Hope you all enjoy. I've enjoyed most of the reviews I've received so far! (Please try not to review if you don't have anything to say. And most questions will be answer *later*) Only ask questions if you've reached the last chapter and still haven't gotten an answer.

Also, is anyone reading my drabbles? I have no reviews on them, and I don't know if they're worth pursuing if no one's reading them. I mean, they're integral to understanding The Color Blue, but I already do. So at this point, am I drabbling for myself? Let me know.

"Please, let me go."

Asayake's voice was a tremor in the quiet air. She was blindfolded, and from the cool air she could hazard that it was night, and that she was outside. But other than that, she didn't know very much at all.

"Shut it, bitch," a gravelly voice rumbled. She hissed when a phantom hand yanked her hair, throwing her into soggy grit and grass.

"Enough," a commanding voice cut through the tense silence. There was a crunching of footsteps across the ground, the sound of sandals against small rocks.

"Isn't it just cozy, Tsuni-san? You've got all this space to yourself, after all. And all these rugged men to protect you." His voice oozed, and he shoved her over with his foot, so that she was on her back, the rope tightening on her hands behind her.

Asayake wasn't a ninja. She had only the power of her magicks, which didn't even work without a name.

Well, mostly.

But even those magicks required the use of her eyes and hands. Something these men seemed to know well.

"Watch her. Don't let her out of your sight. If she requires something, someone is to go with her at all times. She's a very important hostage." Footsteps indicated his exit. Asayake trembled in the cold, soggy grass and rolled back to her side.

"Here," a voice intoned in her ear. Something cold and metallic was brought to her lips. Wincing, she took a sip, sighing when warm chocolate rushed over her lips.

"Thank you," she whispered, wriggling her wrists.

"Hrn. Shut up." She was kicked again, and she gagged, spitting out blood.

"Why," she gasped, dropping her head into the cold grass. It felt like a blessing against her burning skin.

"None of your business, _witch._" There was a small clamor then, as though the people holding her were arguing silently. Asayake couldn't tell. Everything was ringing and she moaned, pressing her burning cheeks deeper into the cool wetness.

"Alright, I think she's far enough gone," a woman hissed. "Put her into a bed, for Kami's sake. And give me her tools."

The stone and pouch were passed to the woman, Asayake noticed through her haze. It was removed from her hip and shuffled over into someone's hands. And then she was being lifted, sending her consciousness in and out in ripples.

A soft bed, she noted, when she was finally released. A soft bed with a pillow. The restraints were cut, and footsteps filed out of the room

Then a warm towel over her features, probably removing the grit from where she'd fallen. The blindfold was removed, and the small boy tending her flinched at her open, feverish eyes.

"Shi- you're awake…"

Asayake's hand snapped out, grabbing the boy around his neck. He gagged and scrabbled at her grip, raking bloody trails down her ivory hands.

"_Nette_," she hissed, her teal eyes boring into his almond orbs.

The boy went slack in her arms and fell with a small thud on the floor.

Asayake forced her heavy body off the bed, biting her bleeding hand to keep herself awake. Whatever they'd put in that drink was dragging her further into unconsciousness with every step.

Hesitantly, she slid open the door, almost collapsing with relief when she saw there were no guards. Driving her teeth further into her flesh, she limped down the hallway and rounded a corner.

So, so many doors, she noticed. Her fingers fluttered hesitantly over one door's handle as her consciousness flickered. The tips of her fingers touched the cool metal, and she heard a shout of alarm from behind her. Grunting, she shoved the door open and looked around.

Boxes. Tons of boxes.

Whimpering, she shut the door behind her, roving around in the dark until she found an empty box in the back. She crawled in jerkily, her muscles refusing to obey her any more. Her fingers skittered across the crate's lid as she tried to set it in place over her. She just got it to snap when the door slammed open and someone ran in.

She closed her eyes to pray and lost consciousness.


End file.
